Manchester City dominated Liverpool from start to finish at the Etihad Stadium, cruising to a 3-0 victory in what marked Pep Guardiola’s 1000th match as a manager.
The result pushed City up to second in the Premier League table, just four points behind leaders Arsenal. Liverpool, meanwhile, slid down to eighth place — even below long-time rivals Manchester United.
City could easily have won by an even wider margin, such was their superiority over Arne Slot’s side.
Pressure is now piling on Slot and his squad, who have already suffered five league defeats this season. For comparison, Liverpool lost only four Premier League matches in the entire previous campaign — yet after just 11 fixtures this season, they have already surpassed that total.
Gary Neville questions Florian Wirtz’s performance
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville singled out Florian Wirtz for criticism, saying the midfielder “looked like a little boy” against Manchester City.
Wirtz joined Liverpool in a huge transfer in the summer, but he has yet to reach the level expected of him.
On The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville said:
> “Wirtz is a problem. Let’s be honest about it. He cost over £100m, and today he looked like a little boy out there.”
Neville continued:
> “We’ve made excuses because he’s young and adapting to a new country, but he cost £120m — he needs to step up. He’s clearly talented, technically excellent, but he was bullied all over the pitch today. He didn’t show the quality expected.”
He also said Wirtz’s display was concerning, considering he is already an established German international:
> “He doesn’t look anywhere near the physical level required in a big Premier League match. Liverpool need to toughen him up and keep backing him until he finds his form.”
Slot maintains confidence in Wirtz
Despite the criticism, manager Arne Slot still believes Wirtz will eventually prove himself and rediscover the level he showed at Bayer Leverkusen.
But the question is: when? Liverpool are already eight points behind Arsenal, and they have looked unconvincing in Europe despite a recent win over Real Madrid.
Wirtz is still adjusting to the speed and physical demands of English football. Although he works hard, that isn’t why Liverpool spent a record fee on him.
Jamie Carragher has also voiced concerns, noting that Wirtz appears lost on the pitch and seems to have misplaced his creative spark.
Leave a Reply