Federico Chiesa could not hide the smile on his face after latching onto an excellent Calvin Ramsay through ball and firing into the Sunderland net on Saturday night at Geodis Park.
The Italian had just put Liverpool back into the lead against the Black Cats, showing off his predatory instinct by timing his run perfectly and lifting a clever finish past the goalkeeper.
Despite being tipped to leave the Reds once again this summer, Chiesa is still around, and after two forgettable years trying to get into Arne Slot’s good books, he has already carved out a place in Andoni Iraola‘s first Liverpool squad.
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Chiesa is Liverpool’s Alexander Isak understudy
Although Liverpool badly need more wide options added to their squad, there are not many fans who are counting Chiesa as a viable candidate to play more minutes.
While that is understandable given the way the last two years have gone, it is perhaps a little unfair.
Chiesa was never given any opportunity to get into a playing rhythm by Slot, and it must have been hugely demotivating for the 28-year-old to know that, no matter what he did, he stood no chance of being in the starting XI for the next match.
Back from day one of pre-season under Iraola, and with Liverpool short on attacking options, Chiesa clearly has a chance to make a good impression and turn things around.
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Happily, he was able to do that on Saturday, coming on at half-time and occupying the central forward position Will Wright had failed to make an impact from in the first-half.
Though he was similarly anonymous for stretches, Chiesa popped up to do what all good No. 9’s should and buried the one chance he had when it came his way. From there the Italy international looked revitalised, and played his part in Lewis Koumas’ late clincher, linking up cleverly with Dominik Szoboszlai in the middle of the pitch.
Interestingly, Chiesa did not spend much time out wide at all, and this points to the role he should now be expected to play under Iraola.
The Reds will not sign a new centre-forward this summer as they wait for Hugo Ekitike to regain fitness. Given Alexander Isak’s well-documented fitness issues, this could lead to an issue for Iraola, with no obvious alternative to the Swede.
There are several young players who would fancy themselves to step up, Wright and Koumas being among them, but they should both be behind Chiesa, who has shown that he can grab the Reds a goal when they need one.
Though this will still be something of a fringe role for the former Juventus man, Isak cannot play every game, and although Cody Gakpo and perhaps Victor Munoz will be candidates to start games as well, Chiesa should be first reserve. There are few Liverpool players who know where the back of the net is like him.
Could Chiesa still be sold this summer?
Though Liverpool are currently short on attacking players, there is an expectation that they will still add to what they have during the rest of the summer transfer window.
This will obviously impact Chiesa in some way, and the Italian is possibly the first in-line for the exit door if the numbers increase too much.
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But one addition – which is what Liverpool currently look like making – should not move the needle in that respect.
If handed this more defined role under Iraola, Chiesa is much more valuable to Liverpool than selling him for £10-15m or sending him out on loan. There is still a chance for him to become more than a cult hero at the club, and he took the first step towards that on Saturday.
Some supporters have already written Chiesa off long ago, and, like Slot, they believe he can offer nothing to the current squad.
But he has been a genuinely top-level player in the past, and having stayed fit for the majority of last season and into pre-season so far, his fitness is less of a concern than it was. Chiesa deserves the chance to have a proper crack of the whip at Anfield, and playing as Isak’s first understudy should finally give him that this season.
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