Right before Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for Liverpool, some signals on the field showed the increasing confidence of the German midfielder when playing in the Premier League.
When Alisson Becker's spike headed towards the left wing, in a position marked very closely by Matt Doherty, Wirtz handled it very delicately. He passed the ball smoothly from right to left, past the Wolves captain before accelerating close to the curb. After that spike, Wirtz received praise from home fans in the Anfield stands.
After initially being overwhelmed by his physical and intense playing style in the Premier League, Wirtz was given many private training plans by Liverpool in the gym to improve physical fitness and endurance. Patience is necessary for the 22-year-old star and now he is proving that the team spent 116 million pounds to recruit him without wasting anything.
In recent times, when Liverpool has escaped a series of continuous defeats and gradually stabilized, unbeaten again, the expectation that Wirtz must score is still very high even though he has made significant contributions to The Kop's playing style. Therefore, it is not surprising that the German midfielder scored against Wolves, the relief and psychological relief are what fans feel.
After a smart runs into the back of the opponent's defense, Wirtz received Ekitike's pass and shot into Jose Sa's net. He celebrated by punching into the air and clapping on the logo on his chest, while being congratulated by his teammates around.
It's great to have scored my first goal since joining the club. I want to thank Ekitike for helping me get that.
The Premier League is the most fierce league in the world, so I have to get used to everything, especially physical fitness. Through each match, I feel a little better and will try to maintain this state. Liverpool is catching up, we have played better and that's what everyone sees" - Wirtz shared.
7 days before scoring his first goal, Wirtz also quenched his thirst for assists with a save for Alexander Isak to score against Tottenham. Wirtz's goal came just 89 seconds after Ryan Gravenberch scored the opening goal for Liverpool against Wolves. In this match, Wirtz created 3 scoring opportunities, the most of the match, including a delicious pass for Ekitike, but the French striker shot the ball against the post.
The good coordination of Wirtz and Ekitike is very important in the context that Isak may have to rest until March after an injury sustained in the victory over Tottenham. Wirtz has completed 7/9 dribbles and won 11/15 one-on-one tackles, as well as had more touches in the opponent's penalty area than any other player in both teams (9). The German midfielder received enthusiastic applause when he was taken out to replace Trey Nyoni in the final minutes of injury time.
Playing on the left wing in Arne Slot's 4-2-3-1 formation seems very suitable for Wirtz because he is free to move into the gaps in the central area. Although the opponent is only Wolves, the bottom team and has not won any match since the beginning of the season, not because of that does everyone deny Wirtz's progress. His influence is increasing and the harmony with his teammates is also the same.
Wirtz is having many better matches every day, he is really progressing. It's not too surprising that he scored today. Wirtz understands that one goal is not enough, so hopefully he will have more goals in the near future. I like this performance" - Arne Slot shared.
