Arne Slot harsh words Florian Wirtz despite 5 star performance vs Wolves
Liverpool continued their encouraging form with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Wolves, as goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz secured all three points at Anfield.
The spotlight, however, belonged to Florian Wirtz, who finally opened his Liverpool goal account after a much-anticipated arrival.
The German, who arrived at Anfield with a huge reputation, finally opened his account for the Reds with a fine first goal for the star.
Despite the growing excitement around Anfield, Liverpool manager Arne Slot was quick to strike a moderate tone, insisting that Wirtz’s first goal should be seen as a platform rather than an end.
Arne Slot says Florian Wirtz needs to score more points
Speaking in his postgame press conference, Slott offered a more balanced assessment of Wirtz’s display.
While the midfielder’s contribution is clear, the Dutchman appeared to be keen to play down the noise, offering constructive criticism about the player’s exit.
Slot acknowledged the relief of the first goal but was quick to point out the need for regular goal contributions from the Germans.
Speaking to the media after the game, Slot said:
“Football in the right way so mostly we are judged by results and people are judged by scoring goals and assists. Sometimes we forget what else we have to do during the game and I think he has had a lot of good games for us but I also feel that he is getting better and better in every game he plays for us.
“He is getting stronger and getting closer to his first goal and it is not surprising to me that he scored one today. But maybe he would be the first to understand that one goal is not enough.
“He’s going to score a lot of goals for us. I also liked his performance in big parts of the game today. I think he was special in many situations.”
? “One goal is not enough!” – Arne Slot says Florian Wirtz is getting better, but still wants more from Liverpool’s £113m signing? pic.twitter.com/2IDVzmZf0B
– CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) December 27, 2025
Wirtz’s game against the Wolves
While Slott needed a higher output, the statistics of the Wolves game underscored just how powerful Wirtz was in Liverpool’s midfield.
Operating in pockets of space between midfield and defence, the 22-year-old was the architect of Liverpool’s dominance.
His first goal was a moment of individual brilliance, but his all-round play was equally impressive.
| Statistics | Price |
|---|---|
| Accurate Passes | 71/84 (85%) |
| Opportunities Created | 3 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.75 |
| Expected goals on target (xGOT) | 0.31 |
| Expected resources (xA) | 0.38 |
| xG + xA | 1.13 |
| Defense Contributions | 6 |
| Shots at Target | 1/2 (50%) |
| To touch | 104 |
| Touching the Objection Box | 9 |
| Successful dribbles | 7/8 (88%) |
| Moving on to the Final Third | 5 |
| Accurate Long Balls | 2/5 (40%) |
| Dispossessed | 1 |
| Non-Penalty xG | 0.75 |
| Fighting | 2 |
| Blocks | 0 |
| Erasure | 1 |
| Ideas | 1 |
| Recovery | 2 |
| The Dribbled Past | 0 |
| Ground Duels Won | 10/13 (77%) |
| Aerial Duels Won | 1/2 (50%) |
| He was tortured | 1 |
| Mistakes Made | 1 |
Florian Wirtz vs Wolves stats via FotMob
It was an absolute masterclass on the pitch which suggests the German international is poised to be the heart of this Liverpool side for years to come.
