Arne Slot's title-defending Liverpool, following their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City on the weekend, have now lost more Premier League matches (five) this season than they did across the entire 2024/25 league campaign (four). Gary Neville, in the aftermath of their defeat, pulled no punches when discussing the performance of Florian Wirtz.
Opening the scoring at the Eithad Stadium, City talisman Erling Haaland rose highest in the Liverpool box just before the half-hour mark before Nico Gonzalez extended their lead to two goals on the stroke of the half-time interval. Sandiwched between the host's two goals was Virgil van Dijk's header, which was controversially ruled out.
Liverpool, despite spending well in the summer of 2025 on a raft of high-profile names, have started their prospective title defence poorly – and Man of the Match Jeremy Doku dazzling down the left, cutting in and curling his effort past Giorgi Mamardashvili was the final nail in the coffin as they suffered their worst defeat of the 2025/26 campaign in all competitions.
Neville Claimed Wirtz 'Played Like a Boy' in Liverpool's 3-0 Loss to Man City
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By virtue of the manner of Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to City, there were very few Liverpool players who impressed; 22-year-old Conor Bradley was named – by Pep Guardiola – as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. The likes of centre-back Ibrahima Konate, however, were on the other end of the spectrum with substandard displays.
Wirtz, a £116 million acquisition from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025, also struggled to perform in the east of Manchester – and Neville, formerly of Manchester United and England before turning his hand to punditry, spoke about the Germany international. "I thought Wirtz, in particular, it was a bad day for him," he said, per Liverpool World, before adding: "We've been tiptoeing around him, haven't we, for a few months around the fact that he's young, he's come to a new country.
"You're going to have to stand up soon. He's obviously got something. He's a really good player, technically fantastic, but he's been mauled out there by [Matheus] Nunes and by others."
"He's been chucked around the pitch and didn't deliver in the quality side of things. His performance was a real worry. Physically, I'd be really worried if I was Arne Slot looking at that team. There were a few of them who look like they can't run. I always think when you go on a losing streak, you start to doubt everything. That is wrong, because there are some great players out there with great attitudes to it's not time to throw the baby out of the bathwater."
Neville is correct. The 22-year-old – for large parts of his side's 3-0 loss to City – was anonymous; he enjoyed just 39 touches of the ball, completed zero of his two crosses and both of his shots were blocked. As such, it may be time for Liverpool boss Slot to experiment by using his £100+ million summer addition as an option from the bench.
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Nobody could foresee the fact that Wirtz, given that he broke the British record transfer fee prior to Alexander Isak's move doing the same, would struggle so much under the guidance of Slot. Many assumed Liverpool would walk the league – but the transition from German to English football has not been seamless and Wirtz's bedding-in period continues to extend.
"Wirtz is a problem, let's be clear. Let's call it as it is. It's an issue. To be fair, I said a few weeks ago about [Milos] Kerkez that he looks like a little boy out there. Wirtz looked like a little boy and that can't be the case. He's a Germany international of great standing, and he looks short in respect of what you'd expect in a top physical match."
Florian Wirtz 2025/26 Premier League Stats vs Liverpool Squad
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“They have got to get him up to speed and got to get that sort of tenacity into him, that little bit of something that means he will get into form," Neville continued. "It means that he will have to stick with him and persist, but they’ve got to find a way to get the best out of him.”
Yet to register a goal contribution in the 11 Premier League matches he's featured in, the patience of the Anfield faithful is running thin after Slot – widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football – and his entourage spent so much money on his signature. Since joining, he was initially utilised from a central hub, but Slot has resorted him to his favoured left-wing position in recent weeks. Whether that can spark him into life, however, remains to be seen.
All statistics per WhoScored – correct as of 10/11/2025