Paul Merson has shared his scoreline prediction for when Liverpool travel to face Burnley in the Premier League.
The Reds took the early advantage in this year’s title race as Dominik Szoboszlai’s late free kick secured a 1-0 win against Arsenal heading into the international break.
Liverpool have maintained a perfect record in their defence of the Premier League title, but it has hardly been a straightforward start to the season at Anfield.
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As the English champions conceded four goals in their opening two matches, a lot of criticism has been shared throughout the squad, with Florian Wirtz enduring an underwhelming start to life in English football.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool looks on prior to the Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
And now Paul Merson has predicted whether the German will keep his place in the starting line-up at Liverpool as club football resumes with a trip to Turf Moor on Sunday.
Arne Slot is expected to drop Florian Wirtz at Liverpool
When providing his Premier League scoreline predictions for Sportskeeda, Merson believes Arne Slot should revert to the midfield three who secured the league title last season.
“I don’t know how Burnley can keep Liverpool quiet for 90 minutes. It just feels impossible. But the real challenge for Arne Slot begins when all his players are fit. He spent big on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, so those two must definitely start?
“But who do they take out of this team? Where do you play Dominik Szoboszlai? He’s been terrific, but you surely can’t keep playing him at right-back? The midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Szoboszlai played a huge role in Liverpool’s success last season. So I think Slot has a big headache in terms of team selection now.
“Wirtz is a top player. But there isn’t any need to change something which isn’t broken! The Liverpool midfield looks a bit weak now, and if they get overrun in that part of the pitch, it’s a huge problem.
Florian Wirtz of Germany applauds the fans following the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Germany and Northern Ireland at RheinEnergieStadion.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
“If I had to pick Liverpool’s best front-three right now, I would go with Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, and Cody Gakpo. If I had to do the same with their midfield, I would put Szoboszlai in there instead of Wirtz. Should Wirtz play ahead of Gakpo on the left then? He’s probably better off doing that because he will definitely get more space than in the middle. But let’s not forget the knock-on effect it will have on the likes of Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike, who will also fancy playing there after Isak’s arrival.
“Liverpool were at their best when they had Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane alongside Salah. Firmino dropped deep and allowed Salah to cut inside and cause havoc. Isak isn’t that type of a striker. So at this point, there are a lot of questions to be answered by Liverpool. And that is why I don’t think Liverpool winning the league this year is a foregone conclusion!
“Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Liverpool.”
Wirtz endured mixed fortunes over the international break as Julian Nagelsmann suggested the Liverpool man was to blame for Germany dropping points in the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia.
Indeed, the German media slammed Wirtz for his display on Thursday as his altercation with Slovakia’s Ondrej Duda dominated headlines; he lost possession to Duda, which directly led to David Hancko’s opening goal.
However, the 22-year-old responded in scintillating fashion as Wirtz blew away Liverpool fans with his sensational free-kick goal for Germany against the Republic of Ireland, which could prove enough to convince Slot to stick with his talisman at Turf Moor.
Arne Slot cannot afford to drop Florian Wirtz
Wirtz’s second-half display against Arsenal was his best performance since arriving at Anfield in a blockbuster £116 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
It is worth noting that it took the German international only four minutes to register his first competitive goal involvement for the Reds when he assisted Hugo Ekitike in the Community Shield loss.
Although Wirtz has looked off the pace thus far, Slot must persist with starting the midfielder, and there is arguably no better fixture to open his Premier League account than a trip to face newly promoted opposition.
Burnley have conceded six goals in their three outings this season, and should Wirtz replicate his display against Arsenal at Turf Moor, he will undoubtedly be one of the most influential players on the pitch for the Reds.