Overview
- Liverpool snapped a run of four league defeats with goals from Mohamed Salah in first-half stoppage time and Ryan Gravenberch after the break.
- Florian Wirtz was left out of the starting XI and entered in the 77th minute, extending his wait for a Premier League goal involvement.
- Arne Slot gained breathing room as Liverpool rose to third place in the table, though the gap to leaders Arsenal stands at seven points.
- Public reaction remains split, with Dimitar Berbatov praising Wirtz’s long‑term potential, Joe Cole faulting Liverpool’s integration strategy, and Didi Hamann warning his standing could be questioned if performances stay subdued.
- Wirtz has shown brighter Champions League flashes, including two assists in the 5:1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt, and faces near‑term tests against Real Madrid and then Manchester City.