'We constantly concede!' - Virgil van Dijk fumes at Liverpool issue after main weakness exploited again in Wolves win

Wirtz had an underwhelming start to his journey in England after Liverpool broke the bank to sign the German attacking midfielder for a then British record transfer fee from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. Wirtz went 16 Premier League matches without scoring a goal before finally ending his drought on Saturday, after he scored the all-important second goal for the Reds after Ryan Gravenberch handed the champions the lead. The German's strike proved crucial for the club as Wolves pulled one back at the start of the second half.

Slot was satisfied with the midfielder's performance as he told Sky Sports after the match: "The team have seen how much he (Wirtz) did already for us, creating chances and being so close to a goal. He will go on and score many more goals than one for us. I think Florian did more than only score today."

Wirtz too was elated on scoring his first Premier League goal, adding: "It was very nice the feeling on the pitch with the fans around. I was very happy and I still am. I was confident that I would score one day. I wanted to start earlier scoring and assisting but it was like this and I have to accept it. I just know that it will come and I try to keep going like that. We played a brilliant first half. We lost the game and got it back. Everyone was working hard. In the last 20 minutes, we made it a bit difficult. I cannot explain why. We have to change that. That's how we want to do it. We want to be there and be on top of the table. It's not been an easy start for us but we're doing better and getting the points."

Defensively, Liverpool's performance has been below par this season and they have managed to keep a clean sheet in only five outings out of the 18 games they have played thus far. Against Wolves, the Reds conceded from a corner, an issue that continues to trouble the Premier League giants this season.

On being unable to defend properly against set-pieces this season, an upset Van Dijk said: "We have defended so many set-pieces very well. But the fact is we've conceded too many goals like that and it hurts. We have to improve that. It's about repetition, training, analysing..... it's something we have to improve. I'd say at least 75 per cent of the time - or even more - it's not even about the first contact, it's the second phase that is the killer."

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In a beautiful tribute before kick off at Anfield on Saturday, Diogo Jota’s sons Dinis and Duarte accompanied the matchday mascots in what was the first meeting between Liverpool and Wolves following the late striker’s tragic death in a car accident in Spain in July. The Portugal international spent three seasons with Wolves before joining the Reds in September 2020, winning three major honours in Merseyside.

Jota's widow Rute Cardoso was touched by the amazing gesture and she wrote on social media: "From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the club and to all the fans for the love, respect and support shown during this incredibly difficult time. Your messages and gestures have meant more than words can express."

Liverpool ended 2025 on a bright note as they eclipsed Chelsea to climb back to the top four in the Premier League table. They will now hope to kick off the New Year in style and aim to further go up on the table as they face Leeds United on January 1 at home.