The real Florian Wirtz showed up in Wolves win - just when Liverpool need him most
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LIVERPOOL 2-1 WOLVES: Florian Wirtz picked the perfect moment to plunder his first Premier League goal as Arne Slot's men put hapless Wolves to the sword at AnfieldAlmost five months and well over 20 games into his Liverpool career, it was time for him to show up. Against whipping boys as hapless as the Premier League has seen for a good while, it was time for him to show he is worth £16million, never mind the £116million he is eventually going to cost Liverpool.Without the Mohamed Salah sideshow, it was time for Florian Wirtz to flourish.
In particular, it is time for Wirtz to show why he is seen as a generational German talent.READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd target Garner return, Liverpool receive Konate update, Arsenal priorityREAD MORE: Florian Wirtz finally ends long wait for goal in underwhelming Wolves win - 5 talking pointsAnd while this was not a performance that fully justified the hype and price tag, at least it suggested the slight 22-year-old is adapting to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.His formative Liverpool career has been a slow-burner, that is for sure. First Premier League assist on December 20, first Premier League goal on December 27.
The first of his 17 Premier League games was in mid-August. As it happened, a fellow summer signing, Jeremie Frimpong, might have had a more important role in this home win, his burst of inspiration late in what had been a truly dreadful first half helping Liverpool make the breakthrough via Ryan Gravenberch’s neat finish.But from Liverpool and Arne Slot’s point of view, the moment of the game arrived soon after when a bit of vision from Hugo Ekitike sent Wirtz clear and some nice control and a poked finish was the cue for some badge-tapping.From there - undeservedly a couple ahead at half-time - this should have been a formality for Slot’s side but when Alisson blocked Tolu Arokodare’s header from an early second half corner, Santiago Bueno was on hand to give Wolves a lifeline.Rob Edwards’ team did not grab it and that there is now no lifeline in the Premier League is pretty much beyond question.