Liverpool lost 2-1 against Crystal Palace amid the continuation of poor Florian Wirtz’s form to lose their perfect record this season. The Reds still lead the Premier League table with 15 points from six matches, which is two more than Arsenal’s tally. They then lost 1-0 in their second UEFA Champions League match of the season, a Galatasaray vs Liverpool clash.
Liverpool have a defence that might prove to be their Achilles’ heel in their effort to win the league title. However, a considerable part of the focus should be on Florian Wirtz‘s form, which has remained suspect ever since he joined the club.
Florian Wirtz’s Form a Reason for Worry for Liverpool
Wirtz was brought in with a transfer fee of £116 million, which is astronomical even in an era of exorbitant spending by clubs. Since then, he has yet to register any assists or score any goals for his new club in eight matches.
He still has enough time to turn things around, but the beginning has certainly not been good. He was one of the best players for Bayer Leverkusen, but he has found it a bit difficult to adjust to the pace of the Premier League.
Wirtz typically needs more time on the ball and is not often quick enough to part with it, even when the situation demands him to do so. He has a tendency to drop deep, whereas he needs to spend as much time as possible in the final third.
With Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai in the midfield, Wirtz does not have the need to fall back into the middle third. Instead, he should put more focus on threading passes together in the final third and finding his teammates with proper deliveries, which might include crosses into the opposition penalty box.
Wirtz has the tendency to play as a deep-lying playmaker would, with enough time on the ball and delivering passes without much hurry. This is, unfortunately, what the Reds need at the moment. With Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike upfront, not to mention Mohamed Salah, they need a player who can play decisive final passes in the final third.
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Liverpool Are Still the Favourites to Lift the Title
The Reds remain favourites to win the Premier League title despite the strong challenge posed by Arsenal and Manchester City. They have a very important match against Chelsea coming up in October, winning which will help them keep their nose ahead.
In such a scenario, it is about time Florian Wirtz’s form improved and helped his team march towards a title triumph. With the kind of recruitment they have done, Liverpool will certainly have their eyes on winning multiple titles.
However, they cannot achieve their targets with their most creative midfielder not firing. Arne Slot will seriously want some better performance from Wirtz in the upcoming matches. If the young German gets his act together, the Reds will be difficult to stop.
It remains to be seen whether their acquisition from Bayer Leverkusen manages to do justice to the enormous potential he has in store.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Kadir Caliskan
Recording Date: 29.09.2025