Florian Wirtz: Liverpool playmaker shines in win against Wolves

Seven of his nine completed drives against Wolves were proof of that. Only Iliman Ndiaye (nine) and Jeremy Doku (eight) have completed more in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool were struggling to get past the visiting players, but Wirtz glided past the Wolves players in that tight space as if they weren’t even there.

Early on, he cut off four Wolves players by playing the ball to Hugo Ekiike from the halfway line and would have been this season’s assist contender had the French striker shot rather than hit the post.

Ekitike then turned provider as he found Wirtz for his goal and the way two of Liverpool’s big summer signings came together was a huge positive on a day when they struggled to get past Wolves.

In the absence of Isak, who will be sidelined for eight weeks with a broken leg, it’s a connection we’ll be seeing a lot more of in the coming months.

“His quality [Ekitike] He passed me the ball; Not everyone will see this pass, but I’m grateful to him and he gave me this opportunity,” Wirtz said.

Manager Arne Slot mentioned that Wirtz and Ekitike are increasing their strength to succeed in the Premier League, with the German team undertaking a weight gain program and focusing on improving muscle building, endurance and recovery.

The effects of this are starting to be seen, but there is still work to be done, as both Wirtz and his captain Virgil van Dijk insist.

“He is getting more and more accustomed to our intensity and the way we play. He is a very important player on the ball and of course there is no debate about his qualities,” Van Dijk said.

“We’re very pleased for him and he must be very pleased with that goal. But I think he was pretty tired after 60 minutes or so, so that’s something he and we have to work on and do it for 90 minutes every three days.”