Wirtz Creates Nine Chances But Liverpool Conundrum Remains

Wirtz creates nine open-play chances but Murphy warns Liverpool are 'too easy to play against'

Florian Wirtz delivered a record-breaking creative display as Liverpool came from behind to beat nine-man Brentford 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday — yet the £116m German's role as a number 10 remains manager Andoni Iraola's biggest tactical dilemma.

Result: Brentford 1-2 Liverpool, Premier League, Saturday
Wirtz's output: Nine chances created from open play — the most by any player in a Premier League game in the past six seasons
Match situation: Brentford reduced to 10 men before half-time; Liverpool scored twice in the second half
League position: Victory lifts Liverpool to fifth, with three wins from seven league games under Iraola
Record ended: Liverpool's first away league win after conceding first since December 2023, ending 19 winless away games when going 1-0 behind

Wirtz has faced criticism for failing to replicate the form that persuaded Liverpool to pay Bayer Leverkusen a club-record £116m in June 2025. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard said this week the 23-year-old could benefit from being taken out of the team altogether to rebuild confidence.

Against Brentford, the dilemma was again visible. Liverpool registered 21 attempts, 14 of them in the second half with their man advantage, and Wirtz was at the heart of the final-third work — but the visitors looked open and vulnerable.

The numbers behind Wirtz's Brentford display

Nine chances created from open play — the most by any player in a Premier League game over the past six seasons
Sadio Mane was the last player to create as many in one game, also nine, for Liverpool against Burnley in January 2021
Wirtz is the first player to reach that tally in an away game in more than 15 years, since Samir Nasri registered 10 for Manchester City against Tottenham in August 2011
No player has created more chances in the Premier League this season than Wirtz, who is level with Brighton's Pascal Gross on 18
12 final-third entries and 37 passes in the final third — both match-leading figures
Only Milos Kerkez (20) lost possession more often than Wirtz (19) among Liverpool players, and Wirtz won just one of his nine duels

Wirtz played in Munoz to begin Liverpool's fightback, meaning he has assisted in back-to-back games across all competitions for the first time — although this was only his second goal involvement in seven league games this term.

What was said

"They got the job done. First and foremost, that's another win on the road, which is always positive."
— Danny Murphy, BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool midfielder

"But I thought they looked too easy to play against. The spaces are too big. They're playing with two wingers and Wirtz at 10, so they're relying heavily on the two midfield players to try and cover so much space."
— Danny Murphy

"It was too easy for Brentford to play out and to get in behind. That would be the biggest concern today for me."
— Danny Murphy

"They don't look solid and don't look together in terms of shape. Instead of a number 10, where Wirtz is struggling to impact games, put three midfielders in. Always, the priority is foundation, defence, stability, being hard to beat. The other stuff can follow from there."
— Danny Murphy

"At the moment, it just looks a little bit open. Against better teams, you're going to get hurt."
— Danny Murphy

Murphy's criticism is not about Wirtz's individual output — the numbers answer that decisively — but about the structure around him. Two wingers plus a 10 leaves the two central midfielders exposed, and against Brentford that allowed the hosts to play out from the back and get in behind even before the sending-off.

His proposed fix is a return to three central midfielders, prioritising defensive solidity over the creative upside Wirtz offers. It is a familiar argument for a team that has just ended a 19-game away run without a win after conceding first.

What Iraola said

"When you come here, you see the results of Brentford at home and you have to be ready for this kind of battle. We had a lot of chances. Even at the end, we had some counters where we were three against one and need to finish. When we go 2-1, every throw-in and every free-kick can be a problem."
— Andoni Iraola, Liverpool manager

"We are in a delicate situation with some of the players. We were talking about this run of four games in 10 days, it's very, very demanding. We have to rest again because we have another big, big game against Villarreal."
— Andoni Iraola

Injury and availability

Alexander Isak: returned from injury against Brentford
Dominik Szoboszlai: suffered an injury on Saturday
Jeremie Frimpong: suffered an injury on Saturday

Iraola described the situation as "delicate" with a run of four games in 10 days, and the fresh blows to Szoboszlai and Frimpong sharpen the selection dilemma in midfield for Tuesday's Champions League tie against Villarreal.

Why the Wirtz conundrum is really about the two behind him

The temptation is to read Wirtz's nine chances as vindication and move on. The reality is more complicated. Florian Wirtz did his job in west London — 12 final-third entries, 37 passes in the final third, an assist for Munoz, and league-leading chance creation alongside Pascal Gross. A number 10 who produces that cannot reasonably be dropped on creative grounds, whatever Steven Gerrard suggested about confidence.

The problem Danny Murphy identifies is structural. With two wingers and Wirtz at 10, Liverpool's two central midfielders are left covering enormous spaces. Even with Brentford a man down, the hosts were able to play out and get in behind, and Wirtz's own defensive numbers — 19 possessions lost, one duel won from nine — underline that he is not the player to plug those gaps.

Iraola's decision against Villarreal is therefore not simply Wirtz in or out. It is whether to sacrifice a winger, or shift Wirtz to a flank, to reinstate a third midfielder and restore the foundation Murphy talks about. The wins are arriving — three in seven under Iraola, fifth in the table — but the fresh injuries to Szoboszlai and Frimpong may force that call whether Iraola wants it or not.

Talking points

Can you really drop a player who has just created nine open-play chances — the most in the Premier League in six seasons — because the shape around him leaks?
Is Murphy right that Liverpool should abandon the number 10 entirely, or is the fix a more disciplined double pivot behind Wirtz?
With Szoboszlai and Frimpong injured and Villarreal next in 10 days of four games, does Iraola even have the personnel for a three-man midfield?
Wirtz has two goal involvements in seven league games but 18 chances created — is he the problem or the reason Liverpool are creating at all?

What happens next

Liverpool host Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Iraola admitting his squad is in a "delicate situation" after injuries to Szoboszlai and Frimpong. How he sets up his midfield — Wirtz at 10 or a three-man unit — will answer the conundrum, at least for one night, and set the tone for the coming Premier League fixtures.

Frequently asked questions

Did Florian Wirtz play well for Liverpool against Brentford?

Yes. Wirtz created nine chances from open play, the most by any player in a Premier League game over the past six seasons, and assisted Munoz in Liverpool's fightback.

Why does Danny Murphy think Liverpool are too easy to play against?

Murphy says playing two wingers plus Wirtz as a number 10 leaves the two central midfielders covering too much space, allowing opponents to play out and get in behind.