Overview
- Manager Arne Slot named Florian Wirtz on the bench against Aston Villa after leaving him out of the League Cup squad in midweek.
- Liverpool have dropped four straight league games and lost six of their past seven in all competitions, prompting heavy rotation.
- Wirtz has nine Premier League appearances with no goals or assists, contrasting with two assists in a 5–1 Champions League win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
- Former pros are split, with Joe Cole urging patience and criticizing Liverpool’s rapid integration of new signings, while Dimitar Berbatov praises Wirtz as a fantastic player.
- TV pundit Didi Hamann warns Liverpool could reassess Wirtz’s status if the quiet performances continue, with Real Madrid and then Manchester City looming.