LIVERPOOL, England — With Liverpool hemmed in inside their own half at Anfield against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Florian Wirtz dropped his shoulder and shimmied past Matt Doherty to release the pressure and set the hosts on the attack.
That small show of ingenuity midway through the first half of the Reds’ 2-1 victory on Saturday set the tone for an accomplished individual display from the Germany international, capped off by him scoring his first goal for the club since his £100 million summer move from Bayer Leverkusen.
Judging by the way Wirtz was congratulated by his elated teammates after slotting past goalkeeper José Sá in the 42nd minute, it’s fair to assume his lack of tangible attacking output has weighed heavily on him during his first few months on Merseyside. But, having notched his first Premier League assist against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, the 22-year-old would be justified in feeling his numbers are now starting to tally with his increasingly influential performances for Arne Slot’s side.
Against Wolves, Wirtz had 104 touches and completed 71 of his 84 attempted passes. He also created three chances — more than anyone else on the pitch — and was quick to chase down opposition defenders on the rare occasions he gave the ball away. Having spent months in the glare of the media spotlight, the midfielder’s latest outing hinted at a player finally beginning to shine on the Premier League stage.
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“It was very nice the feeling on the pitch with the fans around,” Wirtz told Sky Sports postmatch. “I was very happy and I still am. I was confident that I would score one day. I wanted to start earlier scoring and assisting but it was like this and I have to accept it. I just know that it will come and I try to keep going like that.”
Wirtz will also have been delighted to see his close friend and former Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong star against Rob Edwards’ struggling side. Making just his first league start since August, the Netherlands international injected some much-needed pace and guile into Liverpool’s play from right-back, brilliantly teeing up Ryan Gravenberch to open the scoring in the 41st minute.
Just 90 seconds later, Wirtz had doubled Liverpool’s tally following an incisive pass from Hugo Ekitike, putting the hosts firmly in control against a Wolves side that is still without a league win this term. That the Reds still somehow gave the afternoon with a sense of anxiety, following Santiago Bueno‘s header from a corner early in the second half, will no doubt be a cause of consternation for Slot. His team has now conceded 12 set-piece goals in the top flight this season.
Since the beginning of the campaign, Liverpool have surrendered a 2-0 advantage on four separate occasions in all competitions. But for a stunning challenge from substitute Conor Bradley to deny Jhon Arias late on, that rotten record could well have been extended on Saturday.
“Of course, if you go 2-0 up at half-time you are expecting a different second half than what we have to face but in football a goal can change momentum and that is what you saw today,” Slot said postmatch. “Not that after the 2-1 we didn’t have ball possession anymore, but it was a much more equal game and then you are frightened every time when they do arrive, but I don’t think we conceded a lot of big chances. For the rest I saw a team that was fighting to get the win over the line, not with the best possible football, but there was a proper fight.”
Liverpool’s current paucity of options from the bench is admittedly not helping their cause in terms of game management. With striker Alexander Isak set to be sidelined for months after undergoing surgery on a broken ankle and fibia, and Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, the Reds’ are lacking game-changers and look light all over the pitch — something which it might be prudent to rectify in the looming January transfer window.
Still, Liverpool are now unbeaten in seven games in all competitions and have picked up 14 of the last 18 points available in the league. Central to that resurgence has been Wirtz’s upturn in form, and Slot was full of praise for the midfielder after Saturday’s game.
“I am quite sure it was a relief for him,” the Dutchman said. “I could see with his reaction when he scored the goal and it was the same with his teammates, they were really happy for him. In football, rightly so maybe, we mainly get judged on results and individuals mainly get judged on goals and assists and we sometimes forget what else is there to do during a game. “And I think he has multiple good games for us, but I also think he is getting better every game he plays for us. He is getting fitter and fitter and was getting closer and closer to his first goal and it is not a surprise he scores today.
“He will be the first to understand that one goal is not enough. So hopefully he will score many more goals for us than just this one. But I also liked his performance during large parts of the game today, I think he was special in a lot of moments.”
Of course, Slot is right: Wirtz cannot and will not be satisfied with just one goal against a team that could be on course for the lowest points tally in Premier League history. But, now the shackles are finally off, Liverpool will hope this is only the beginning for their new star man.
