Arne Slot has said the performances of his Liverpool squad are justifying the club’s quiet summer transfer window
Liverpool progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after thrashing West Ham 5-1 at Anfield, with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scoring braces and substitute Mohamed Salah also on target.
Slot rung the changes for the third-round tie and handed opportunities to several players who have struggled for minutes this season, with Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, Gakpo and Conor Bradley among those who came into the side.
A comprehensive win booked a tie at Brighton in the next round and Slot said the performance of his much-changed side proved again the depth already at his disposal.
“You already start to laugh because you’re thinking for two months I only ask about new players! I constantly told you guys how many quality players we already had,” Slot said at his post-match press conference.
“I think you all knew and that’s also what we showed in the last weeks and today again that we have many quality players. What pleased me most was that even if a lot of new players come in they don’t come in and try to have a good individual performance.
“They try to work really hard for the team. There was a lot of desire not to concede and as a result of that we had some good individual performances as well.”
Slot pleased with Chiesa performance
Liverpool made just one signing in the summer as Federico Chiesa arrived from Juventus. The Italian made his first start against West Ham and recorded an assist for Liverpool’s equaliser, as Jota headed home from Chiesa’s effort on goal. Slot was pleased to see the 26-year-old get some much-needed minutes after a lack of football in recent months.
“It was pleasing to see that he could already play 60 minutes because I think I said in the last press conference he hasn’t played a lot, maybe hasn’t played hardly any minutes in the last three or four months.
“So, for him it is important that apart from getting more match fitness, he has to have playing minutes – and that’s what he got today. He assisted, although it was a shot on target that provided Diogo for a goal, worked really hard and I think it is normal he is not already in the top of his ability.
“He has to get used to the club, he has to get used to his teammates, he has to adjust to the playing style. It was very good to see how match fit he already is so we can use him if we need him.”
