Why Reds boss needs to get Chiesa back in the line of FIRE

WHEN Arne Slot sent on Federico Chiesa to save Liverpool against Sunderland on Wednesday night, the timely intervention that eventually came from the Italian was not quite what had been hoped for.

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Federico Chiesa (right) chases down Wilson Isidor of Sunderland before his point-saving goalline clearance on Wednesday

(CARL RECINE/GETTY)

Rather than fire in another late goal or create a timely assist, Chiesa, this time, found himself chasing down Wilson Isidor from the halfway line before ensuring he was in the right spot to deny a dramatic winner for the Black Cats as he cleared off the line.

Defeat, particularly for Slot, was unthinkable against Regis Le Bris’s side and had Chiesa not been alert and willing to chase back, the latest post-match inquest might have reflected even less favourably on an embattled head coach, whose penchant for game-changing alterations has largely deserted him this term, certainly in more recent weeks at least.

Once more, in an effort to rescue a victory, Slot piled on the attacking players and saw the structure of the team suffer as a result and had Chiesa not raced back after goalkeeper Robin Roefs had put Isidor clean through on goal after successfully defending a corner, Liverpool would be staring down the barrel of another damaging defeat at Anfield.

The fear factor and mystique which Anfield has so often been shrouded in for those who visit as the opposition has faded in recent weeks.