Over half a year after joining Liverpool, Florian Wirtz finally delivered the moment supporters had been waiting for. After 190 days, 23 matches, and 27 shots, the club’s £100 million signing finally registered his first goal.
The long-awaited breakthrough arrived just before the interval on a chilly Christmas matchday at Anfield, an unlikely stage for his opening strike.
The delay explained the surge of emotion around the ground when the ball crossed the line. Afterwards, Arne Slot admitted the goal was a major weight off the German’s shoulders.
That relief deepened at full-time, as Liverpool narrowly overcame bottom-placed Wolves in a performance that offered more tension than comfort.
Although Wirtz’s goal briefly hinted at a routine win, the contest proved far more demanding, and his finish ultimately made the difference.
Because of his slow adjustment to English football, Wirtz had come to reflect Liverpool’s wider difficulty in justifying their expensive summer recruitment.
Even so, this imperfect victory was driven by the new signings, with Wirtz on the scoresheet and other arrivals providing the creative spark. It did not instantly vindicate a £450 million outlay, but it did show signs of genuine progress.
For Wirtz himself, there were positives beyond the goal. Against Wolves, he displayed glimpses of the talent that convinced Liverpool to invest so heavily: neat control, quick feet, and inventive passing.
Slot described some of his moments as “special,” while also acknowledging that attackers are ultimately measured by goals and assists.
While Wirtz had produced steady performances before, this was the breakthrough he truly needed. Slot backed him to build on it, pointing to his strong scoring record at Bayer Leverkusen, and Wirtz admitted he always believed the goal would arrive, even if he wished it had come sooner.
The goal came in an unusual way. Hugo Ekitike split the Wolves defence with a sharp through-ball, allowing Wirtz to burst clear and calmly slip the ball beneath José Sá.
Earlier, Wirtz had reversed the roles by creating a chance for Ekitike that struck the post, with Slot keen to emphasise that Wirtz’s influence extended well beyond his finish.
Liverpool’s opener was also the product of new faces. Jeremie Frimpong raced down the wing and cut the ball back for Ryan Gravenberch, who converted emphatically.
Slot again highlighted Frimpong’s pace as a major weapon. Yet despite those moments, Liverpool began sluggishly and looked increasingly fragile as the game progressed.
Although they extended their unbeaten run to seven matches and took 14 points from their last six league games, those numbers painted a kinder picture than the performance deserved.
Wolves, still without a win and enduring their worst top-flight start in more than a century, created real problems.
Defensive weaknesses re-emerged, particularly from set pieces. Wolves pulled one back when Santiago Bueno turned in a rebound after Tolu Arokadare’s powerful header, prompting Slot to criticise his side’s struggles at both attacking and defending dead-ball situations.
Wolves continued to push, forcing saves from Alisson and testing Liverpool’s resolve. In the end, Liverpool held on without control or dominance but secured a vital victory, one that could prove significant for both their season and Florian Wirtz’s confidence going forward.
