Arne Slot singles out Federico Chiesa and makes Alexander Isak Liverpool fitness claim

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The Swede scored his first goal for the club in their 2-1 victory over the Saints as they progressed to the League Cup fourth round.

Having crossed for Isak to score, Chiesa then assisted the winner for Hugo Ekitike late on.

However, the Frenchman went from hero to villain as he was then sent off for a second bookable offence after removing his shirt to celebrate.

Slot felt mixed emotions after the final whistle as a result, having also seen debutant Giovanni Leoni stretchered off late on.

READ MORE:Arne Slot delivers Liverpool injury update on devastated Giovanni Leoni - 'It didn't feel good'

The Dutchman took time to praise Chiesa following the final whistle, admitting the Italian - who has found his opportunities limited since moving to Anfield last summer - had been his side’s standout man.

However, without naming names, he cryptically confirmed that he had not been as impressed with the individual performances of some of his other players.

“I think what you want to see,” he said at his post-match press conference.

So I said at half-time, for me it is completely not a coincidence that Federico picked the ball and assisted on the first [goal] because he was the one, in my opinion, that was most involved in the game, tried the most, worked the hardest.

“And then it wasn’t a coincidence again that he was the man that made a deep run, great ball by Robbo [Andy Robertson], by the way – who also has won so much at this club and also understands how to play this game: not underestimate it, just always be ready to play.

“That’s also the way to get yourself either back in the team or get as much playing minutes as you want.

“That’s why I was happy with a few individual performances but far from happy with a few other individual performances.

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Meanwhile, Slot also shared his delight at Isak - who could now make his first Premier League start for Liverpool away at Crystal Palace in the absence of the suspended Ekitike - scoring his first goal for the club.

The Dutchman has been happy with what he has seen from the Swede since he joined the club in a British record £125m deal from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day.

But having endured a disjointed pre-season at St.

But we got him not in the best circumstances in terms of match fitness, so we have to build it up.

“The downside to that is that you cannot play a player 90 minutes and if you only play him 45 or 30 or again like today 45, it might then normally take a while before he scores his first goal because we can all understand if you play a player three times 90, it’s a bigger chance that he scores a goal than when you play him 45, 30, 45.

“He’s the British record signing – and there’s hardly anyone talks about this so maybe it’s smart for me to talk about this!

So there will be then pressure on if he takes a while to score a goal, because he’s the record British signing – no-one says this, so I repeat it!

“I think the best moment to start to see where he is and how much he can help us – you can already see that he can help us – but the best [will be] when he comes back hopefully from the Swedish national team, when he stayed fit, played there many minutes, plays for us in the upcoming weeks a few minutes.

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“Then I think after that then his pre-season has ended and we can expect even more from him.