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Wirtz answers critics but scrutiny remains
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool controls the ball

Florian Wirtz was instrumental as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League at Brentford on Saturday, but does the German playmaker remain boss Andoni Iraola's greatest conundrum?

The visitors produced plenty of chances, particularly with their man advantage in the second half when they registered 14 of their total 21 attempts.

Wirtz was at the heart of things in the final third.

The Germany international created more chances from open play (nine) than any other player has managed in a Premier League game over the past six seasons.

Despite answering his critics with those standout statistics, the impact of his playing style on the dynamic of the team continues to come under scrutiny.

BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes a midfield which features Wirtz as the number 10 remains a problem as it makes Iraola's side too easy to play against.

"They got the job done. First and foremost, that's another win on the road, which is always positive," Murphy said of Liverpool's performance.

"But I thought they looked too easy to play against.
The spaces are too big.

"They're playing with two wingers and Wirtz at 10, so they're relying heavily on the two midfield players to try and cover so much space.

"It was too easy for Brentford to play out and to get in behind. That would be the biggest concern today for me."

Liverpool stage comeback to win at

Wirtz's strengths are clear.

Following his latest performance, no player has created more chances in the Premier League this season. He is level with Brighton's Pascal Gross on 18.

He played in Munoz to begin Liverpool's fightback, meaning Wirtz has assisted in back-to-back games for Liverpool across all competitions for the first time - although this was only his second goal involvement in seven league games this term.

He was at the heart of Liverpool's attack, with a match-leading 12 final-third entries and 37 passes in the final third.

Florian Wirtz completed 53 of the 65 passes he attempted (81.5%) - including a match-leading 38 inside the final third

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