A lot happened in a game that ultimately didn’t matter much for Liverpool.
With a top-two spot in the Champions League clinched, Liverpool FC rested most of its regular starting XI in what was mostly a meaningless game for them, which resulted in a curious starting eleven that featured Andy Robertson at centre-back.
Still, the game was a firecracker, with multiple lead changes, five goals, and even a red card for Amara Nallo, who was making his first-team debut.
Head coach Arne Slot was asked if it was a “cruel experience” for Nallo to be sent off just moments after taking the pitch in his debut:
“Yeah, it’s cruel. He has never played first-team football yet and then to make your debut at Champions League level is probably the hardest way of making your debut. I think he misinterpreted the situation and that is immediately a problem at this level or at Premier League level. So, it’s a big moment for him to learn from. It is cruel, indeed. You think in a moment like this, 10 minutes before the end, ‘Phwoar, I’m going to make my debut in the Champions League’ and a few minutes later you go off with a red card. That is always difficult. But a career mainly is not always positive, there are also negatives and he has to fight very hard to make sure he will ever play a second Champions League game again, which is not going to be easy but hopefully he will.”
He was also asked if completing 90 minutes of football was a big step for Federico Chiesa:
Yeah. And he got a knock with the penalty so that took him a few minutes before he got going again. But I think it’s been seven, eight or nine months ago – maybe even longer, I don’t know exactly – since he played 90. It’s the same for Jayden Danns, it was the same for James McConnell. So, we had quite a lot of players that were not used to playing so many minutes in the last six or seven months. So it’s especially for them also important that they make these 90 minutes and were able to keep competing during 90 minutes. OK, Jayden couldn’t manage to play the whole game, but Federico in the end was still sprinting, trying to do his work. So, positive.
Lastly, when asked about potential depatures on loan for the youngsters, Slot singled out a particular player for praise:
There’s always a chance in life. At the moment we have most of our players fit, so we will have this discussion tomorrow, me and Richard [Hughes], about these players. There is definitely one of them that will not go on loan – and I think you know which one I mean. James McConnell. I wouldn’t say definitely, but I liked him a lot today, so maybe now the end result today would be it’d be good for him to go somewhere and play. He was also a player that hasn’t played in the last six or seven months 90 minutes because he was injured for a while. He impressed me a lot today.
Overall, a good night. Liverpool managed to rest their key players, cruised into the next stage in first despite a loss, and got some good playing time for many youngsters. Up next, a trip to the south coast as Liverpool will play in-form Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.