Wirtz delivers but remains Liverpool's conundrum

What the report says

Florian Wirtz helped Liverpool get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a comeback victory at Brentford, but BBC Sport says his display also underlined the ongoing debate over his role in Andoni Iraola’s side. Liverpool had gone into the match under pressure after their first league defeat of the season at Manchester City, and they recovered by scoring twice in the second half against a Brentford team reduced to 10 men before the interval.

Wirtz was central to Liverpool’s attacking play. He created a league-high number of chances in the match, including nine from open play, and set up the move that led to Liverpool’s fightback. He also posted strong passing numbers in the final third. Even so, the report notes that his overall impact has been questioned since his club-record move from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2025, with critics arguing that his presence as a number 10 can leave Liverpool vulnerable defensively.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, speaking to BBC Sport, said the team can look open and too easy to play against when Wirtz is in that central attacking role. Liverpool’s win lifted them to fifth in the table and gave them a second league victory in seven matches under Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot in the summer.

The match also brought mixed fitness news: Alexander Isak returned from injury, while Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong were forced off. Iraola said his squad is in a delicate physical situation ahead of a Champions League game against Villarreal on Tuesday.