Florian Wirtz’s start to life at Liverpool, on paper, may not look spectacular. However, the £100 million signing from Bayer Leverkusen has made a far stronger impression than the raw numbers suggest.
Rival fans were quick to highlight the lack of goals or assists in his opening Premier League matches. Conveniently, they overlooked his UEFA Champions League assists and his strike in the FA Community Shield against Crystal Palace.
Yet, even without immediate returns in the league, there was something obvious to anyone watching closely.
His movement, intelligence and composure on the ball all pointed towards a player who will not just fit into this Liverpool side. Instead, he is set to become a key figure for years to come.
The first 15 matches
In his first 15 Premier League matches, the German provided 38 key passes, ranking fifth in the entire league at the time. This was despite registering just one assist.
It was not a case of poor creativity. The chances were being created, but they were not being converted. That was reflected in his expected assists figure of 4.03. This is significantly higher than his actual return of two assists during that period.
The data showed that the attackers were not finishing the opportunities he was providing.
However, because of the high transfer fee Liverpool paid for Wirtz, the scrutiny naturally fell on him. This happened even when the numbers suggested the issue lay elsewhere.
An even better Wirtz
A significant part of his upturn in recognition has come from increased involvement in games. His average touches per match rose from 59 in October to 74 in January.
This shows it was not necessarily a sudden improvement in ability. Rather, he was seeing more of the ball as the team began to adapt around him and understand how he makes the attack tick.
One early glimpse of that came when he was introduced as a substitute against Manchester United. Despite Liverpool losing the match, Wirtz looked sharp every time he touched the ball. He was constantly threatening and appeared capable of creating something out of nothing.
As the weeks have progressed, that influence has only grown. Even during what some labelled a slump, he was keeping pace with players such as Bruno Fernandes and Bukayo Saka for big chances created. This underlines that his impact was always there, even if the headlines suggested otherwise.
Wirtz has also developed a strong understanding with Hugo Ekitike, who is enjoying a fine debut season of his own at Liverpool.
In recent weeks, the pair have combined for six goals. This partnership is built on Ekitike’s intelligent movement and Wirtz’s ability to spot and execute the decisive pass.
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It is a natural fit, with one constantly searching for space and the other capable of finding it.
Wirtz was named Liverpool’s Player of the Month for January. This is recognition for the influence he has had during a crucial period of the season.
With a place in next season’s Champions League on the line and ambitions of going deep into Europe’s biggest competition well and truly alive, Wirtz looks set to be central to everything Liverpool aim to achieve.
