Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol insists that Federico Chiesa was the “biggest disappointment” for Arne Slot’s side against Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent FA Cup history with the Championship strugglers beating Premier League leaders Liverpool 1-0 on Sunday.
Harvey Elliott gave away a penalty early in the second half by handling the ball inside the area before Ryan Hardie converted the spot-kick to give Plymouth the lead.
The 53rd-minute goal settled the tie with Liverpool failing to capitalise on the late chances they had at Home Park with Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard in fine form.
Despite fielding a weakened side, Slot still had an impressive front three of Chiesa, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz – but none of them could make an impact in the FA Cup fourth round clash.
And Nicol thought Chiesa – who Liverpool signed for around £12.5m in the summer transfer window – was an “absolute bust” against the Championship’s bottom side.
Nicol said on ESPN: “You know the biggest disappointment today? Chiesa. I mean 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.
“Maybe not scoring goals and all of that, but showing yourself on the field and helping the younger guys, showing your experience.
“The guy’s got a European winner’s medal! But he’s been an absolute bust today. If you’re Slot you’ll be lying in bed thinking ‘I hope I don’t need him.’”
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However, former Chelsea player and manager Roberto Di Matteo reckons Chiesa will come good as Liverpool signed a “top, top player” in the summer.
Di Matteo told BetMGM recently: “I really think Liverpool have a top, top player on their hands in [Federico] Chiesa. He’s got so many attributes that you need to do really well in the Premier League – he’s fast, he can go past a defender and he knows where the goal is.
“He doesn’t have a good injury record and that’s the big question mark with him. If he can get over those injuries and have a good run in the team, then Liverpool will reap the rewards because he’s a hell of a player.
“He’s one of the best in Italy, that’s for sure. I really hope he can stay fit just so everyone in England can see the talent he has.
“Liverpool was a great move for him and I do think he’ll be an asset for them in the second half of the season. They’ve got a lot of options at the top end of the pitch, but they’re still in all of the competitions so they’re going to need everyone to contribute.
“English fans haven’t seen the best of him yet, but I really like him and expect him to have a big impact.”
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