Wenger believes the problem began with Liverpool’s willingness to give Wirtz the central attacking role he demanded as part of his transfer. Speaking on beIN SPORTS before Liverpool’s Champions League win over Real Madrid, Wenger delivered a brutal assessment of the Reds’ troubled start to the season, pointing the finger directly at the £116m recruit.
"Liverpool is an interesting example," Wenger began. "When Wirtz had the choice between going to Bayern Munich or Liverpool, he said to Liverpool: 'I come to you if I play No 10. I do not want to play wide.' Liverpool, to get him, they say Okay. They started him and they destroyed their midfield - which was (Ryan) Gravenberch, (Alexis) Mac Allister, (Dominik) Szoboszlai. To play Wirtz, they took Szoboszlai out."
After a dreadful run of results, Slot finally made the bold call to revert to last season’s midfield trio, and the turnaround was instant. Against Aston Villa, Gravenberch found the net in a 2-0 win, while Mac Allister found his mojo in a deeper role. Days later, in the Champions League, the Argentine scored the decisive goal against Real Madrid, sealing a vital 1-0 victory that rekindled hope at Anfield.
"What have they done against Aston Villa? They have gone back to their midfield of last year," Wenger said. "And tonight, they play Wirtz, but I'm sure that Wirtz will play on the side. The manager has said: 'If you want to play again, you will have to play wide because I do not want to disturb the midfield.' That will be interesting to see tonight. Wirtz is back in the team but certainly will have to play left, where he was when he played at Leverkusen."