Liverpool supporters have been given plenty to ponder only three games into the new Premier League campaign.
Sunday’s narrow 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield highlighted both the positives and lingering concerns around Arne Slot’s side.
The Reds entered the clash as the Premier League’s top scorers, but against one of the strongest defences in the division they found chances hard to come by. It took a moment of brilliance from Dominik Szoboszlai in the 83rd minute to break the deadlock, as his thunderous free-kick secured three valuable points.
While the result was hugely satisfying, the spotlight once again fell on Florian Wirtz. Liverpool’s record signing, brought in for £116 million from Bayer Leverkusen, has yet to find his feet in England.
For the third successive league match he started in the number 10 role but drifted in and out of the contest, unable to replicate the explosive creativity that earned him a Ballon d’Or nomination earlier this year. So far his impact in a red shirt has been muted.
That lack of impact has led to growing questions. No goals, no assists, and the sense that Liverpool’s midfield lacks some of its old solidity when he is on the pitch.
But former Liverpool striker John Aldridge believes it’s far too soon to judge and that supporters need to look at the bigger picture when it comes to the German playmaker.
“Florian Wirtz isn’t as defensive as Szoboszlai but can be a nuisance factor by getting in the faces of opponents. And it shows how Slot has real alternatives in the middle of the park.”
For Aldridge, that is the crucial point. Wirtz may not yet be dazzling with goals or assists, but he has another role to play in Liverpool’s midfield — being the player who unsettles, disrupts, and irritates the opposition in dangerous areas. It is a role that requires not only skill but adaptation,
The comparisons with Hugo Ekitike’s fast start at Anfield with two goals in three league starts are inevitable, 22-year-old Wirtz racked up remarkable numbers over five seasons in Germany, and there is little doubt he can reach that level again under Slot and Aldridge is confident he will eventually thrive.
“Florian Wirtz didn’t spend a long time as Liverpool’s club record transfer but it might take a while longer for him to get used to playing in England.
With all due respect to the Bundesliga, the Premier League is the most difficult in the world. And we’ve already seen that opposing teams are looking to stifle him. It was encouraging, then, that he showed a bit more in the second half against Arsenal and it does look like he will eventually get to grips with things.”
Liverpool’s midfield certainly looks different this season. Last year, Szoboszlai operated as the driving force with Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister anchoring behind him. That trio offered balance, aggression, and control. With Wirtz now starting, the structure has changed.
“In midfield, it’s all about balance. Now Wirtz is playing, that balance has changed. He is much more of a forward-minded player, and if we win the ball in midfield it has to go in to his feet as often as possible as he can create things.”
Liverpool have begun the season with maximum points and, crucially, have found ways to win without their record signing firing on all cylinders.
