Florian Wirtz was instrumental as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League at Brentford on Saturday, but questions remain over his role under manager Andoni Iraola.
Wirtz has faced criticism for failing to replicate the form that convinced Liverpool to pay Bayer Leverkusen a club-record £116m in June 2025. Former captain Steven Gerrard suggested the 23-year-old could benefit from being dropped to overcome a perceived lack of confidence.
Against Brentford, Wirtz created nine chances from open play — the most by any player in a Premier League game in over 15 years. He also assisted in back-to-back games for Liverpool across all competitions for the first time, helping the visitors score twice in the second half after falling behind.
Despite the standout statistics, BBC pundit Danny Murphy argues that featuring Wirtz as the number 10 makes Liverpool too easy to play against. He believes the team lacks defensive stability and suggests deploying three midfielders instead to provide better foundation and shape.
The win lifted Liverpool to fifth in the table, with three wins from their first seven league games under Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot in the summer.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing