Liverpool star blows MASSIVE opportunity to secure his future at Anfield

Liverpool will want to forget their fourth round FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle as soon as possible, but there were some talking points from the match that simply cannot be ignored.

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Arne Slot fielded a heavily rotated team against the side who currently sit bottom of the Championship, and it was not enough for the Reds to progress.

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Although the starting XI featured some unproven names, such as Trey Nyoni and James McConnell, there was also some proven senior players present too, notably the front three of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa.

The performances of almost every Red on the pitch left a lot to be desired, but Chiesa’s display in particular has raised some big questions.

Chiesa disappoints FA Cup exit

In what was only his third start since joining the club from Juventus in the summer, Chiesa failed to make any meaningful impact on the game, and this has led to criticism from one former Liverpool man.

Speaking on ESPN UK after the match, Steve Nicol – who won the FA Cup three times with Liverpool – shared his dissatisfaction with the Italian’s showing.

“I know when they signed him it was a bit of a gamble because he'd been out injured for so long, but the pedigree the guy's got, you would expect at least something from him today.”

Sunday’s cup tie was only the second time the 27-year-old has completed the full 90 minutes since his arrival in August.

“Maybe not scoring goals and all that but just showing yourself on the field and helping the younger guys and showing your experience,” said Nicol.

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What are the wider repercussions of Chiesa’s display?

Chiesa wasn’t the only player on the pitch to put in a poor performance, but it once again feels as though the 51-capped Italian international failed to make the most of a rare opportunity.

The sensational form of Mohamed Salah means that the Reds right-wing spot is almost never available for matches and on this occasion, when the Egyptian King was afforded a rest, Chiesa failed to prove himself.

Although exiting the FA Cup so early is not the end of the world, especially with the position in which Liverpool find themselves in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup, it may have some implications on Chiesa’s future at Anfield.

With only the final left in the League Cup, Chiesa is very unlikely to get a start again in that competition. He is also yet to start a league game and only started the Reds’ final Champions League ‘league phase’ match against PSV, when qualification was already guaranteed.

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Opportunities to impress the Liverpool hierarchy are going to be even harder to come by for Chiesa in the remainder of the season, and with a big overhaul planned for the summer it may be too late for the Italian to cement his position in Slot’s squad.

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