Florian Wirtz didn't need to score to steal the spotlight as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League. His chance creation against Brentford was exceptional, a display that brought the enormous attacking potential behind that record fee sharply back into focus. Behind the eye-catching numbers, though, sat a thornier question: does the German give his side the solutions it needs, or does the way he's being used create a tactical imbalance that threatens the balance of Andoni Iraola's squad?
Liverpool needed a win to restore their confidence after defeat to Manchester City, and the match painted a dual picture of Wirtz. He can make the difference with a touch or a pass. He also remains a subject of debate because of his impact on the team's shape and his ability to strike a balance between attack and defence.
With criticism of his level resurfacing, the challenge is no longer limited to recovering the best version of the 23-year-old. It extends to identifying the position that allows him to showcase his abilities without sacrificing Liverpool's stability.
Wirtz answers his critics with exceptional numbers
Wirtz went into the Brentford clash under growing pressure, having faced criticism for failing to reach the level expected of him since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2025 for £116 million, in a deal that became the most expensive in Liverpool's history.
The questions were not confined to his output on the pitch. Club legend Steven Gerrard suggested that leaving the player out of the starting line-up for a period might help him rebuild his self-confidence, a reference to the scale of the expectations surrounding the German star and the difficulty of adapting to the pressures that come with his transfer fee.
Against Brentford, Wirtz delivered a strong response to his critics. He imposed himself as one of the most prominent elements of the front line, helping to move Liverpool's attacks along and create chances, particularly during the second half, when the side took advantage of their numerical superiority after one of the home players was sent off before the end of the first half.
Liverpool's players registered 14 attempts on target out of a total of 21 shots during the match, benefiting from the spaces that appeared in Brentford's ranks after they went down to ten men. Wirtz was constantly present at the heart of the attacking movements.
According to the statistics, the German created nine chances from open play, a figure no other player has reached in a single Premier League match over the past six seasons. The last to achieve the same number was Sadio Mane, in a Liverpool shirt against Burnley in January 2021, when he also created nine chances.
Away from home, Wirtz became the first player to reach this number of chances in more than 15 years, specifically since Samir Nasri created ten chances for Manchester City against Tottenham in August 2011.
In doing so, Wirtz provided clear evidence of his ability to create danger even when he does not score himself. Those numbers were not enough to end the debate over his role in Iraola's system.
Danny Murphy reveals the problem the statistics do not show
Despite the praise for what Liverpool produced on their way to victory, Danny Murphy, the club's former midfielder and a pundit on "BBC Sport", did not hide his concerns about the tactical shape in which Liverpool appeared.
Murphy felt that having Wirtz in the playmaker role, behind the striker and in front of the midfield, could cause a problem that goes beyond individual performance, because that distribution places additional burdens on the midfielders and gives opponents opportunities to exploit the spaces.
Liverpool got the job done and secured an important away win, Murphy said, but at the same time looked like a team that is easy to play against, because of the wide distances between their lines.
He explained that the side's reliance on two wingers with Wirtz in the playmaker role leaves the midfielders responsible for covering large areas, something that may leave gaps for opponents to exploit when building their attacks.
Brentford, he added, were able to advance with the ball easily and reach the spaces behind the defensive line, and he considered this point the most prominent source of concern in the match.
None of this necessarily means Wirtz is solely responsible for the imbalance. It does leave Iraola facing the need to review the way he distributes roles within the team.
The problem, according to this view, does not lie in the player's ability to create chances, but in how his qualities are deployed within a system that guarantees a balance between attacking pressure and defensive cover.
Liverpool's top chance creator, but there is another side
The numbers reveal the scale of the impact Wirtz has begun to have on Liverpool's performance. He has become, level with Brighton's Pascal Gross, the leading chance creator in the Premier League this season, with both reaching 18 chances.
Wirtz also contributed to the beginning of Liverpool's comeback against Brentford with an assist, recording assists in two consecutive matches for the side across all competitions for the first time.
Even so, that positive touch represents only his second goal contribution in seven league matches this season, which illustrates the gap between his ability to create chances and his direct output in terms of goals and assists.
Driving many of Liverpool's attacks, Wirtz topped the team's list for the number of entries into the final third of the pitch with 12, while also completing 37 passes in that area, underlining his effective presence in the most important attacking zones.
The picture was not entirely perfect. He lost the ball 19 times, making him the second-highest Liverpool player for losses of possession during the match, behind Milos Kerkez, who lost it 20 times.
More striking still is that Wirtz won only one duel out of the nine he contested, which raises questions about his ability to deal with physical challenges and pressure, especially against opponents who succeed in closing down the spaces in front of him.
An assessment of the player, then, cannot be reduced to the number of chances he creates, because his impact on a match is also linked to his ability to retain the ball, contribute to regaining possession and help his side escape the opposition's pressure.
Does Iraola need to change his plan for Wirtz?
Faced with this evidence, Murphy proposed a tactical solution involving abandoning reliance on a fixed player in the playmaker role and fielding three central midfielders, rather than loading the current line with defensive responsibilities beyond its capacity to handle.
The former Liverpool player believes the side first needs to build a solid base that gives it stability and makes it harder for opponents, before focusing on the attacking and aesthetic aspects.
Murphy said Liverpool do not look sufficiently cohesive in terms of the distribution of players and their shape on the pitch, pointing out that Wirtz struggles to influence a match when he plays the traditional playmaker role.
From that standpoint, fielding three central midfielders could give the team better coverage of the spaces and reduce the pressure on its defensive personnel, while allowing Wirtz to move in freer areas, according to the needs of the match.
Implementing that solution, however, would not be a simple decision for Iraola, because reducing the space allocated to an additional attacking player could in turn affect the team's ability to create chances, especially when facing opponents who rely on sitting deep.
The real dilemma for the Spanish manager, therefore, appears to be finding the formula that allows Wirtz to retain his creative influence, without his presence turning into a weakness that opponents exploit in attacking transitions.
Murphy warned that continuing in this manner could cost Liverpool dearly against stronger sides, who possess greater quality in exploiting space and punishing tactical errors.
An important win that ends Liverpool's away hoodoo
Away from the debate surrounding Wirtz, the victory over Brentford gave Liverpool an important boost in the Premier League race, lifting them to fifth place and bringing a third win in their first seven matches in the competition under Iraola, who took over from Arne Slot in the summer.
There was a special significance to the win, too, with the Spanish manager leading his side to their first away league win after falling behind since December 2023, ending a run of 19 away matches without a victory after conceding the first goal.
That turnaround reflects the team's ability to come back in a match, but it does not remove the need to address the problems that emerged during the contest, especially as the numerical advantage in the second half helped Liverpool assert their control and create a succession of chances.
Iraola suffered two fresh blows on the injury front, with both Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong picking up injuries during the match, despite the return of striker Alexander Isak to action after recovering from injury.
These developments further complicate the calculations of a manager who needs to balance managing his players' physical loads with keeping the team ready amid a congested fixture list.
Iraola warns of fixture pressure before Villarreal clash
Speaking to "BBC Sport", Iraola stressed the difficulty of playing at Brentford's ground, noting that the home side's results make any visit to their stadium a genuine physical and tactical test.
The Spanish manager said his side created many chances but did not make the most of some counter-attacks as required, particularly in the closing moments, when Liverpool found themselves in a three-attackers-against-one-defender situation.
He added that Brentford scoring and reducing the deficit to 2-1 was enough to make every throw-in or free kick a potential source of danger, a reference to the difficulty of settling matches even when a side holds the advantage.
Fixture pressure was another theme. Iraola pointed out that Liverpool are going through a delicate period, having played four matches in ten days, which demands a huge physical effort from the players. He stressed the need for his squad to get some rest before preparing for the Villarreal clash, scheduled for Tuesday in the Champions League.
Between a win that restored confidence, numbers that reinforced Wirtz's standing as one of the most prominent chance creators, and warnings about defensive balance, Iraola finds himself facing a test that goes beyond collecting points. Liverpool have a player capable of making the difference, but turning that talent into a stable collective strength requires addressing the imbalance in the distribution of roles and spaces.
One question will be answered by the coming matches: will Iraola succeed in building a system that makes the most of Wirtz's qualities, or will the German star remain the focus of tactical debate every time he shines in attack and gaps appear in the team's performance in return?
