Liverpool new boys Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak were victorious in their first Merseyside derby, but it was far from a successful day for them on an individual level.
Both were dropped from the starting XI for Saturday’s match against Everton, though Wirtz’s absence was significantly more noteworthy. Going into the fixture, he’d started six out of six games this season but failed to impress or come close to justifying his £100million transfer fee. You expect such an expensive signing to hit the ground running, but you can allow a 22-year-old some time to settle in a new country, with new teammates, and under a new head coach. There is some leeway here. Despite what some Mailbox contributors want you to believe.
Dropping Wirtz was surprising in that he’s their new shiny toy, but it was also unsurprising given that he’s performed well below par in a Liverpool shirt. Arne Slot attributed it to him needing a rest, just as Alexis Mac Allister did against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. We’re pretty sure Wirtz won’t be needing a rest when Southampton come into town on Tuesday after he came on against Everton to make it seven games, zero goals, zero assists, or as some on social media will now proclaim him: 007.
Isak was technically dropped as he started Liverpool’s last game against Atletico, but that was his first appearance for the club, and he wasn’t ready for a Premier League squad at Burnley days before. The Swede starting on the bench was expected, with Premier League minutes for his new team always going to come in the Merseyside derby.
Hugo Ekitike was given the nod despite a few games without a goal or assist, but with Isak now in contention, the Frenchman looks ready for the centre-forward battle. He took his goal fantastically well in Saturday’s 2-1 victory, converting from a Ryan Gravenberch assist with one perfect touch and a tidy finish across Jordan Pickford.
It was an instinctive striker’s goal, and while Isak would’ve been smiling through the pain as he celebrated from the bench, it had nothing on Gravenberch’s opener. Reminiscent of a volley Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid in the same goal 11 years ago, Gravenberch marauded into the box to get on the end of a Mohamed Salah dink, and with a lot to do, he produced unbelievable technique and direction to give Pickford no chance. It was a truly fantastic goal.
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Liverpool were on it from the first minute, although a rubbish Everton performance was helping them. Beto was, well, atrocious, and was hooked at half-time. Iliman Ndiaye showed some fancy footwork at times, but whenever Everton entered the final third, they failed to test Alisson. And whenever Jack Grealish tried to make things happen, he was being harassed by Conor Bradley. At Goodison Park, more decisions might’ve gone his way, but it was mostly a fair physical battle.
Liverpool being 2-0 up at half-time was more about them being good than Everton being bad, though. Regardless, David Moyes ripped into his players and clearly told them to find Grealish more, which they duly did. That simple instruction, and Beto getting hooked, made the game competitive, and Everton halved the deficit through an outstanding Idrissa Gana Gueye finish in the 58th minute.
Slot swiftly turned to Wirtz and Curtis Jones in a tactical change that moved Szoboszlai out of the No.10 role. And five minutes later, Isak was brought on for Ekitike.
Wirtz had a decent chance to register his first goal involvement for Liverpool on the counter from an Everton corner, but you could see that he’s a player bereft of confidence when he cut in instead of shooting, giving James Tarkowski the chance to fly in and clear the ball. And his booking on 82 minutes gives those doubting him some more ammunition.
The biggest positive so far from the signing of Wirtz is how much it’s improved Szoboszlai. He wasn’t especially dangerous against Everton but Liverpool looked more balanced and more free-flowing with him in the hole and Wirtz out of the team.
The German should grow into his role, but the fact that his struggles are coupled with Szoboszlai taking his game to another level is far from ideal. At least Liverpool are winning games!
And Saturday’s victory makes it five wins out of five in the Premier League for the champions, which is a pretty strong argument for Slot if he’s asked how his new big-money signings are fitting in.
Everton, meanwhile, managed to turn things around in the second half, performance-wise anyway. They were much more threatening with the ball. Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye continue to look like an exciting duo, and Tarkowski made some brilliant defensive interventions.
They showed, as most teams have this season, that there are chinks in this very expensive Liverpool armour.
What Liverpool are proving to be imperious at is closing out matches. For the first time this season, they closed one out having been in front for a while, after some late go-ahead goals led them to victory against Atletico, Bournemouth, Burnley, Arsenal and Newcastle United.
Just imagine how good they’ll be if Wirtz starts playing like a £100m midfielder. But with Szoboszlai continuing to shine in a more functional Reds system, he might not get the chance. And right now, Isak also doesn’t deserve to start. Not because he’s been rubbish, but because Ekitike doesn’t deserve to be dropped.
Southampton at home on Tuesday is the perfect chance for them to finally get up and running in a Liverpool shirt. Ironically, that has become a game that suddenly carries huge individual importance for both.
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