'More than I could expect' - Slot sees positives in Chiesa's first league start
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has defended Federico Chiesa's performance in his first league start of the season, praising the Italian's impact despite struggling to make an impact in the 3-2 defeat at Brighton.
Chiesa, who joined Liverpool from Juventus last summer in a £12.5m deal, has had a disappointing season, scoring just once for the Reds.
However, Slot was encouraged by what he saw from the 27-year-old, highlighting a good chance he created just before Mohamed Salah's big opportunity.
"I think the biggest quality Federico has is scoring goals, so the more you get him in and around the box, the more chance you have of him scoring a goal," Slot said.
"I think he did even more than I can expect from him, because if you haven't played throughout the whole season, hardly ever start and then play Brighton away, a very good team who can bring Kaoru Mitoma on minutes before the end, that tells you everything about this league."
