Liverpool suffered a rare Premier League defeat on Sunday as Chelsea beat them 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
The Reds were always likely to see a dip in performance after securing the league title in emotional fashion last weekend.
In many ways, a trip to Champions League-chasing Chelsea was just about the worst fixture possible for Liverpool and it showed.
With nothing left to play for, Arne Slot rotated his Liverpool squad and gave a chance to some players who have been rather on the fringes of things this season.
We learnt plenty about Liverpool’s fringe players on the day, with not all of them doing their chances of greater involvement many favours.
One who did step up was Wataru Endo, and the Japanese has been hailed for being one of Liverpool’s better players on a limp afternoon in west London.
Wataru Endo is Liverpool’s ‘shining light’
Liverpool fans were delighted with Endo’s display against Chelsea as the 32-year-old went about making the most of his maiden start of the campaign.
Featuring slightly higher up than we’ve been used to seeing him in a Liverpool shirt, Endo’s passing was as crisp as his tackling.
And speaking to LFCTV post-game, former Liverpool midfielder David Thompson claimed the No.3 was one of the Reds best performers on a disappointing afternoon.
“The gaffer would have been wanting to have a look at a few people in his squad,” said Thompson. “I thought Endo did alright today. He was one of the very few shining lights.”
READ MORE: Arne Slot admits he’s had some ‘insights’ after watching Liverpool’s fringe players against Chelsea
“He was passing the ball quickly, other players taking too many touches but he was on the one and two touch and whenever we did play the one and two touch we opened them up a bit.
“But taking too many touches and allowing them to get back into their shape was what was causing our own problems. I thought Endo did well, I thought Elliott did okay at times but he struggled to get a foothold in the game.”
Disappointment over Federico Chiesa
Another fringe player who finally got on the pitch on Sunday was Federico Chiesa.
Unlike Endo, though, Chiesa was not starting against Chelsea. The Italian got just 10 minutes on the pitch. And according to Thompson, this was a disappointment.
” I was a little bit disappointed Chiesa only got 10 minutes,” he said. “The way he’s played and with his reputation I thought he’s deserved a little bit more of a look in. Whether he starts the next game, hopefully so.
“I know the fans really want to get a look at him. We know what he can do, what he’s capable of. He’s just not had a look in since that Plymouth game. And that Plymouth game I thought he was on the periphery of the game but he was waiting for the ball to be delivered to him and the lads in midfield didn’t have the best game, they couldn’t get the ball to him. So, in that respect I do feel a little bit sorry for him.”
Slot has admitted that Chiesa will play a little more in the final weeks of the season. Perhaps a start against Arsenal is coming for the winger.
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