Jamie Redknapp says Liverpool have a rarely-used player who has just bailed Arne Slot out big time

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Jamie Redknapp believes a Liverpool star sent a direct message to Arne Slot during the 2-1 win against Southampton.

It was an evening of highs and lows for the Reds at Anfield as Hugo Ekitike secured passage to the next round of the Carabao Cup in the 85th minute following Shea Charles’ equaliser.

The Frenchman will be suspended for the trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday after he took his shirt off in a moment of “sheer stupidity” during the celebrations, thus receiving his second yellow card and his marching orders.

And while Alexander Isak opened his account with the opening goal on the night, the Reds face a nervous wait on debutant Giovanni Leoni, who was stretchered off following a touchline collision.

However, another player who has been on the fringes at Anfield took his opportunity with both hands on Tuesday and single-handedly saved Slot from an early Carabao Cup exit.

Federico Chiesa stole the show for Liverpool vs Southampton

When speaking live on Sky Sports after the final whistle, Redknapp paid homage to Federico Chiesa, who he believes saved the Reds in the cup.

“They didn’t play great today. They were not at their best. The manager will be delighted. The one player who got the most out of it was Federico Chiesa, he had so much energy and desire.

“He was just what they wanted. Without him, they would be in a hole.”

Liverpool fans were thoroughly impressed with Chiesa after his display at Anfield; he assisted both of the Reds’ goals on the night.

The 27-year-old has been given a more prominent role at Liverpool this season after spending his maiden campaign on the fringes and now boasts one goal and two assists in his opening six outings.

He had appeared destined to leave the Reds this summer, Bayern Munich enquired about Chiesa during the negotiations that saw Luis Diaz depart for the Allianz. However, the Italian opted to remain and fight for his place at Anfield.

With the rotated side struggling against Championship opposition, Chiesa operated across the front line and even dropped into the number 10 role as Slot looked to avoid an early cup upset.

Indeed, Chiesa has been consistently overlooked throughout his time in English football, but his performance on Tuesday clearly showcased that the forward can be a valuable player for Slot this season.

How did Federico Chiesa fare against Southampton?

Chiesa has come a long way since his disastrous display in the shock FA Cup elimination at the hands of Plymouth Argyle last season.

The forward featured little after the loss at Home Park despite scoring a consolation goal in the Carabao Cup final loss against Newcastle United.

Now, he is proving he can be the best player on the pitch for the Reds and was certainly that on Tuesday evening, as he set up both goals and created more chances than anyone else on the pitch.

Chiesa has developed cult-hero status at Anfield with a song that can be heard in every match, and with Slot showing an eagerness to rotate this season as compared to last year, the Italian will surely have an important role to play.