More than six months after arriving at Liverpool, Florian Wirtz finally found the moment everyone had been waiting for. It took 190 days, 23 appearances, and 27 attempts on goal before the club’s £100 million signing opened his account.
The breakthrough came just before half-time on a cold Christmas fixture at Anfield, a setting few would have predicted for his first strike. The long wait explained the wave of emotion inside the stadium when the ball finally hit the net. Liverpool head coach Arne Slot later admitted the goal clearly came as a huge relief for the German playmaker.
That sense of relief only grew at the final whistle, as Liverpool edged past bottom-of-the-table Wolves in a performance that was far from convincing. While the match briefly threatened to turn into a comfortable win when Wirtz scored, the reality was much tougher. Ultimately, his goal proved decisive.
Given Wirtz’s slow adaptation to life in England, he had unintentionally become a symbol of Liverpool’s struggles to justify their heavy summer investment.
Yet, flawed as the display was, this victory was shaped by the club’s new arrivals, with Wirtz scoring and fellow summer signings providing assists. It did not suddenly validate a £450 million spending spree, but it did represent tangible progress.
For Wirtz personally, the performance offered encouragement beyond the goal. Against Wolves, he showed flashes of the quality that persuaded Liverpool to invest so heavily in him: clever touches, sharp footwork, and imaginative passing. Slot described him as “special” in several moments, but also acknowledged the reality of football, where attackers are ultimately judged on goals and assists.
While Wirtz had delivered solid displays before, this was the moment he truly needed. Slot expressed confidence that this goal would be the first of many, pointing to Wirtz’s impressive scoring record at Bayer Leverkusen. The player himself admitted he always believed the goal would come, even if he hoped it would arrive sooner.
The goal itself came in an unusual fashion. Hugo Ekitike split the Wolves defence with a precise pass, allowing Wirtz to surge forward and calmly slide the ball under goalkeeper José Sá.
Earlier in the game, the roles had been reversed, with Wirtz setting up Ekitike for a shot that struck the post. Slot was keen to stress that Wirtz’s contribution went far beyond scoring.
Liverpool’s opening goal was also crafted by new faces. Jeremie Frimpong burst down the flank and cut the ball back for Ryan Gravenberch, who finished emphatically.
It was another example of Frimpong’s pace proving decisive, something Slot highlighted as a key asset. Despite these moments, Liverpool started slowly and looked increasingly vulnerable as the match wore on.
Although Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to seven games and collected 14 points from their last six league matches, the statistics flattered them.
Wolves, still winless and enduring their worst top-flight start in over a century, caused serious problems.
Defensive frailties resurfaced, particularly from set pieces. Wolves pulled a goal back after Santiago Bueno converted a rebound following a towering header from Tolu Arokadare. Slot openly criticised his side’s poor record at both scoring and defending set pieces.
Wolves continued to threaten, forcing saves from Alisson and relying on strong defensive interventions to keep the scoreline intact. In the end, Liverpool survived, lacking control and authority but clinging to a vital win—one that may prove important for both their season and Florian Wirtz’s confidence moving forward.
