Forget Wirtz: 100-touch Liverpool summer signing who won seven duels vs Wolves has improved so much - opinion
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Florian Wirtz scored his first Premier League goal during the 2-1 win over Wolves this weekend.Fans were in awe of Wirtz just 10 minutes into the fixture when he played a beautiful pass to Hugo Ekitike, who saw his effort hit the post.The German continued to be the most impressive Liverpool forward in the first half and was eventually rewarded with his first-ever goal for the club right before the break.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Who was Liverpool’s best player during the 2-1 win over Wolves?
Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say Wirtz has improved a lot since the start of the campaign, when his £100m-plus price-tag was looking a little far-fetched.Even without his goal on Saturday, there were obvious signs that he’s becoming one of the Reds’ most important players.But it is worth noting that another Liverpool summer signing, who was similarly poor right after his arrival, is now performing much better.Milos Kerkez stats vs WolvesIn October, Alan Pardew claimed Milos Kerkez had been ‘found out’ since signing for the Premier League champions.There were even suggestions last month that Slot had ‘lost faith’ in Kerkez.However, it is fair to say that the Hungarian has found a new lease of life at Anfield and was once again solid in the Wolves win.He had no real involvement in the set-piece goal, which Liverpool have conceded so many of this season.Away from that, the left-back dominated the ball and was especially strong in duels, as showcased in his stats via Sofascore.Milos KerkezStats vs WolvesTouches100Tackles3Clearances4Interceptions1Dribbled past0Accurate passes69/72 (96%) Who will be Liverpool’s Player of the Season in 2025/26?!🏆 Does anyone else spring to mind? 🤔Credit: Carl Recine/Liverpool FC/Getty Images 👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say Arne Slot could hinder Milos Kerkez with Liverpool changeIt’s great to see Kerkez finally showing signs of his true potential in a red shirt.However, all that work could easily be undone if Slot brings Cody Gakpo back into the eleven on the left wing.Prior to the Dutchman’s injury, Gakpo’s connection with Kerkez was poor, something Slot highlighted at the back end of October.He said: “We brought him [Kerkez] in as he brings a lot of energy to the game by going up and down.
They need to find their connection better than they already do.”It’s no coincidence that the full-back is thriving now he’s playing behind Wirtz, recently explaining his newfound connection with the German.The defender stated: “At the moment, there’s a good connection between me and Flo [Wirtz]. I felt like I was in the opposition box a lot more and crossing.”Kerkez’s freedom to move into the opposition box more will be hindered if he plays in front of Gakpo, as the former PSV man cuts inside and shoots far too much every time he picks up the ball.Unfortunately, fans are well aware of how much Slot likes playing his fellow countrymen, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in the eleven next week, and Wirtz moved into a more central role away from the left-back.