Wirtz shines as Liverpool beat Brentford, but questions remain over his role

Florian Wirtz created nine chances as Liverpool came from behind to beat nine-man Brentford, but his outstanding attacking display did not settle questions about the balance of Andoni Iraola’s side.

Liverpool scored twice in the second half after Brentford had been reduced to 10 men before the break. The win ended a run of 19 away league games in which Liverpool had failed to win after conceding first, and lifted them to fifth in the table, with three victories from their first seven league matches under Iraola. [1]

Wirtz, 23, was central to Liverpool’s response. His nine chances created from open play were the most by any player in a Premier League match over the previous six seasons, according to BBC Sport. He also set up a goal for the second consecutive game in all competitions and has created 18 chances in the league this season, level with Brighton’s Pascal Gross. [1]

Yet former Liverpool midfielder and BBC pundit Danny Murphy argued that using Wirtz as a number 10 left the team too open. He said the space between Liverpool’s players made it easier for Brentford to play through them and get in behind, and suggested adding a third central midfielder.

The performance also had less flattering numbers: Wirtz lost possession 19 times, more than any Liverpool player apart from Milos Kerkez, and won one of his nine duels. The contrast between his creative output and those concerns over the team’s shape is at the heart of the debate about his role. [1]

Liverpool’s win came at a cost. Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong were injured during the match, while striker Alexander Isak returned from injury. Iraola said the side faced a demanding run of four games in 10 days and had another match, against Villarreal in the Champions League, on Tuesday. [1]