Arne Slot has harsh words for Florian Wirtz despite 5 star performance vs Wolves | OneFootball

Liverpool continued their encouraging run of form with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wolves, as goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz secured all three points at Anfield.

The spotlight, however, firmly belonged to Florian Wirtz, who finally opened his goal account for Liverpool after arriving with huge expectations.

The German playmaker, who arrived at Anfield with a massive reputation, finally opened his account for the Reds with a great debut goal that capped a star performance.

Despite the growing excitement around Anfield, Liverpool manager Arne Slot was quick to strike a measured tone, insisting that Wirtz’s debut goal should be seen as a platform rather than an endpoint.

Arne Slot says Florian Wirtz needs to score more

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Slot offered a balanced assessment of Wirtz’s display.

While clearly pleased with the midfielder’s contribution, the Dutchman appeared keen to temper the hype, offering a touch of constructive criticism regarding the player’s output.

Slot acknowledged the relief of the first goal but immediately mentioned the need for more frequent goal contributions from the German.

Speaking to the press after the game, Slot said:

“In football rightly so we mainly get judged on results and individuals mainly get judged with goals and assists. We sometimes tend to forget what else is there to do during a game and I think he’s had multiple good games for us but I also feel that he gets better and better every single game he’s playing for us.

“He is getting fitter and fitter and it was getting closer and closer to his first goal and then it’s not a surprise to me he scored one today. But he would probably be the first one to understand that one goal is not enough so.

“He will score much more goals for us.. I also liked his performance during large parts of the game today. I think he was special in a lot of moments.”

Wirtz’s performance against Wolves

While Slot demands higher output, the statistics from the Wolves match underline just how dominant Wirtz was in Liverpool’s midfield.

Operating in the pockets of space between the midfield and defensive lines, the 22-year-old was the architect of Liverpool’s dominance.

His debut goal was a moment of individual brilliance, but his all-around play was equally impressive.

Florian Wirtz’s stats vs Wolves via FotMob

It was a complete midfield masterclass that suggests the German international is ready to become the heartbeat of this Liverpool side for years to come.