Wirtz delivers but remains Liverpool's conundrum
Florian Wirtz created nine chances as Liverpool beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday, but manager Andoni Iraola faces a tactical midfield dilemma.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Liverpool came from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday, moving up to fifth in the Premier League.
- Florian Wirtz created nine open-play chances, the most in a Premier League game for six seasons.
- Pundit Danny Murphy noted that deploying Wirtz as a number 10 leaves Liverpool too easy to play against.
- Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong picked up injuries ahead of the Champions League clash with Villarreal.
Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Saturday by coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory against Brentford away from home, against a side reduced to nine men before the final whistle. The triumph lifted the Reds up to fifth place in the table after their first seven league games under manager Andoni Iraola, who took over from Arne Slot during the summer.
Despite claiming the three points, the performances of Florian Wirtz continue to spark intense debate. The 23-year-old German playmaker, who arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record 116 million pounds in June 2025, has faced criticism for struggling to maintain consistent form. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard even suggested this week that the midfielder could benefit from being temporarily removed from the starting lineup to regain his confidence.
However, Wirtz delivered a strong statistical response in west London on Saturday. He created nine chances from open play, matching the most any player has managed in a single Premier League match over the past six seasons—a feat last achieved by Sadio Mane for Liverpool against Burnley in January 2021. He also became the first player to reach that tally in an away fixture for over 15 years, since Samir Nasri recorded 10 for Manchester City against Tottenham in August 2011. Furthermore, he registered a match-leading 12 final-third entries and 37 passes in the final third while grabbing an assist in back-to-back games.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Nevertheless, the impact of his overall playing style on team dynamics remains under heavy scrutiny. BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy argued that utilizing Wirtz in the number 10 role leaves the team too open and vulnerable to opponents.
"But I thought they looked too easy to play against. The spaces are too big. It was too easy for Brentford to play out and to get in behind. That would be the biggest concern today for me."Danny Murphy
That vulnerability was mirrored in other areas of his statistics. While Wirtz drove the attack, he also lost possession 19 times—surpassed only by Milos Kerkez among Liverpool players with 20—and won just one of his nine duels. Murphy suggested that shifting to a traditional three-man midfield to prioritize defensive solidity and foundation would be a safer tactical approach before focusing on attacking flourishes.
From a tactical perspective, accommodating an advanced playmaker often forces managers to constantly balance attacking creativity with defensive security. When a number 10 operates predominantly in the final third, the space between the midfield and defensive lines can expand if teammates fail to provide immediate cover. This dynamic forces managers like Andoni Iraola to weigh individual star quality against the collective structural stability of the team.
Aside from tactical adjustments, Iraola is dealing with fresh injury concerns. Although striker Alexander Isak returned to action, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong sustained injuries on Saturday. With a grueling schedule of four games in 10 days, Liverpool must quickly turn their attention to a crucial Champions League fixture against Villarreal on Tuesday.
Source: BBC Sport
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