Liverpool are contesting yet another Quarterfinal on Wednesday and there several things to keep your eyes on.
Wednesday brings the first of hopefully several Cup Quarterfinals for Liverpool during the 2024/25 season as they get set to do battle with Southampton in the last 8 of the League Cup.
The Reds, current holders of this trophy after winning a memorable Final in February, will be considered favorites, even if Arne Slot decides to field a much changed Starting XI to cope with a loaded fixture list.
As we look ahead to Wednesday’s Cup showdown, there are a few things that you as a viewer and fan should be looking for and I’m here to suggest some of the important items that should be on the list.
Let’s take a look at the three things you need to watch in Liverpool’s EFL Cup Quarterfinal.
1. How much youth will Slot field?
There is great speculation that Liverpool will utilize Wednesday’s meeting with the Saints as an opportunity to get some of the younger players a chance to feature for the first team.
In the same breath, that could mean stars like Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and others could be rested with an eye on the Tottenham clash at the weekend.
Having said that, this is still a Cup Quarterfinal and any opportunity to win silverware cannot be glossed over, regardless of the stature of your club in world football. The club will want to progress so they need to be careful to not field a totally weakened XI.
With that in mind, Liverpool did lift this trophy behind the efforts of “Klopp’s Kids” so there is clearly a precedent that could be followed if needed.
Perhaps a runout for Tyler Morton, Trey Nyoni and Jayden Danns alongside a seasoned, but still young, Harvey Elliott.
2. Can Jarrell Quansah regain his confidence?
This season has seen several Liverpool players “level up” under the tutelage of Slot and the club has benefitted across the board as a result.
However, one player that has curiously gone the other direction is Jarell Quansah who went from rising star in defense a season ago to what looks like a broken man these days.
The young Englishman was pulled at halftime of the Opening Day win over Ipswich and he has clearly never recovered. His trademark confidence and composure have been non-existent in his limited game time this campaign.
He is in desperate need of a match where things go right and he visibly plays well in the crucial moments.
I don’t want to overreact, as he still showed so much promise, but if Quansah cannot turn things around and soon, a loan away might be an option so he can rebuild.
So, a commandeering performance in a Cup Quarterfinal could go a long way towards restoring his own faith as well as that of his manager and the club as a whole.
3. A rare Federico Chiesa Liverpool appearance
With each passing match that does not feature the former Italian star, his bargain price deal from the summer looks more and more like a failure, even at its cheap cost.
There is no denying that when fit, Chiesa is one of the best wingers in all of Europe. It’s that “when fit” part that is so frustrating for everyone involved.
He would certainly help the Reds if he can get on the pitch, and that looks like something he is set to do on Wednesday with several players injured or resting for this one. It’ll be a good opportunity to get him some minutes in a pressure match without overwhelming him.
A match-fit Chiesa would be a big boon to the attack for the second half of the season and that process begins now as he inches his way forward in his Liverpool career.
He has the talent to make a difference even in limited minutes, so when he does take the pitch, I will be very interested to see how he looks and if he still has that same juice.
