As Brentford fans celebrated their victory over the Premier League champions on Saturday night, a stark contrast unfolded in the away dressing room. Shaken and disappointed by their fourth straight Premier League defeat, Liverpool’s players sat in grim silence as the cheers of their opponents’ supporters echoed in their ears.
The somber atmosphere came just days after a morale-boosting team meeting led by captain Virgil van Dijk and a Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt seemed to reignite a sluggish season. Federico Chiesa revealed the aftermath of the silence, saying: “No one spoke, because after that everyone knows. Sometimes you don’t need to talk about the situation. You know what’s going on.”
He continued, “That’s why no one talked about it, because we have to think about how we can do better. Usually when you’re in a situation like this, the first thing that comes to mind is to give more and train harder.”
“It’s good that we didn’t have a conversation after the game because it shows that everyone wants things to change.
“Then we went to the bus and started talking about the situation. First of all, we don’t have to blame anything or anyone.
“There are many reasons, not just one. But we have the quality and the players to bounce back and we have a great manager, so I don’t think there will be any problems.”
Liverpool’s challenge could not be any easier on Wednesday as they host Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, looking to stop a run of six defeats in seven games.
Brentford have become the latest team to take advantage of Liverpool’s vulnerability to set-pieces and aerial balls, but Chiesa, who is expected to start against Palace, remains unfazed.
“We have world-class players who can perform in any situation, so I don’t think there will be any problems.”
“If Crystal Palace want long balls and long throw-ins, we are very happy with that, because we will respond with high intensity and winning duels and trying to win.”
Despite a difficult first season at Liverpool, Chiesa has already scored two goals and provided three assists in nine appearances this season.
He scored two goals for Liverpool in their 2-1 win over Southampton last week.
