Florian Wirtz helps Liverpool win at Brentford despite ongoing physical struggles

Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory against nine-man Brentford on Saturday. The BBC, CBS Sports, and the Daily Mail all reported on the win at Brentford, where VAR intervened to send off Yehor Yarmoliuk late in the first half following an incident with Jeremy Jacquet. The Daily Mail noted that Liverpool struggled to assert control early in the match, despite fielding an expensive attack that included Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz. [1][3][4]

Florian Wirtz played an influential role in the match. CBS Sports reported that the German playmaker created nine chances during the contest. CBS Sports also noted that Wirtz currently leads the Premier League in total chances created, although the outlet highlighted that he continues to be physically overmatched in domestic matches. [1][3]

The performance comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the 23-year-old midfielder. According to the BBC, Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2025 for a club record fee of 116 million pounds. CBS Sports valued the transfer at 135 million dollars. Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard recently suggested that Wirtz could benefit from being dropped from the starting lineup to rebuild his confidence. [1][3][6]

Wirtz plays as an attacking midfielder or left midfielder for Liverpool and the Germany national team. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola continues to manage the player's role as the team seeks consistency in domestic competition. [1][10]