Wirtz Creates Nine Chances as Liverpool Beat Brentford but Tactical Questions Remain

Posted : 18 October 2026

Florian Wirtz delivered an outstanding creative performance as Liverpool recovered from their defeat to Manchester City with a 2-1 Premier League victory over Brentford on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The German playmaker created nine chances from open play and assisted Victor Muñoz's equaliser, but questions remain over how Liverpool can balance his attacking strengths with their defensive needs.

Liverpool fell behind shortly before half-time when Keane Lewis-Potter headed Brentford into the lead. The match changed in stoppage time when Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off for violent conduct, leaving the hosts with 10 players.

Wirtz helped Liverpool take advantage after the break. His pass set up Muñoz to equalise in the 62nd minute, before Alexander Isak scored the winner eight minutes later. Brentford finished with nine men after captain Vitaly Janelt received a second yellow card late in the match.

Despite Liverpool's victory, Wirtz remains under scrutiny following his difficult start to life at Anfield. Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen a reported club-record £116 million for the midfielder in June 2025, raising expectations that he would become a major attacking force.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard had recently suggested that Wirtz might benefit from a spell out of the starting lineup to rebuild his confidence. However, his display against Brentford offered a strong reminder of the creativity he can bring to the team.

The statistics underlined his influence. Wirtz created more chances from open play than any player in a Premier League match over the previous six seasons. His nine chances matched the figure recorded by former Liverpool forward Sadio Mané against Burnley in January 2021. Wirtz also became the first player in more than 15 years to reach that total in an away league match, since Samir Nasri created 10 chances for Manchester City against Tottenham in August 2011.

Wirtz completed 53 of his 65 attempted passes, recording an 81.5% completion rate. He also led the match for passes into the final third, with 38, and recorded 12 entries into the attacking third. His numbers highlighted his ability to unlock defences, even as Liverpool continued to show weaknesses without the ball.

Former Liverpool midfielder and BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy remained concerned about the team's structure. He argued that playing Wirtz as a number 10, alongside two wingers, placed too much defensive responsibility on the two deeper midfielders.

Murphy suggested that Liverpool could benefit from adding another central midfielder to improve their defensive stability. He warned that the gaps between players could become costly against stronger opponents, despite the team's attacking potential.

Wirtz also had areas to improve. He lost possession 19 times and won only one of nine duels, figures that highlighted the challenge of combining creative freedom with the physical demands of the Premier League.

The victory moved Liverpool up to fifth in the table, giving Iraola's side an important response after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. It also ended a lengthy run without an away league win after conceding the opening goal, with Liverpool last achieving that feat in December 2023.

However, the result came with fresh injury concerns. Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong both suffered problems during the match, leaving Liverpool facing difficult decisions ahead of a demanding schedule.

Iraola acknowledged the physical strain on his squad, pointing to a run of four matches in 10 days. He stressed the need for recovery as Liverpool prepared to face Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.

For Wirtz, the Brentford performance was an important step towards silencing his critics. His creativity helped Liverpool secure three points, but the wider tactical debate remains: Iraola must find a system that maximises the German's attacking qualities without leaving the team exposed defensively.

Wirtz Creates Nine Chances as Liverpool Beat Brentford but Tactical Questions Remain

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics