Liverpool looked much-improved in their Premier League meeting with West Ham United.
On the back of six defeats in seven league ties and nine in 12 across all competitions, something had to change.
Arne Slot, to his credit, made some big calls ahead of the West Ham fixture, including benching Mohamed Salah.
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Who was your man of the match during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham?
Alexander Isak shakes hands with Arne Slot after being substituted during Liverpool's Premier League match against West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
He instead went with a frontline of Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak, and Dominik Szoboszlai, with Florian Wirtz floating just behind the trio and interchanging with the wide players during his time on the pitch.
Liverpool fans praised Wirtz heavily for his performance in the win over West Ham, suggesting he was the best player on the pitch.
Robbie Fowler knows Florian Wirtz’s best position
Interestingly, the 22-year-old’s display came on the back of many suggesting he can’t play as a number 10 for Liverpool.
Prior to his recent injury, Wirtz had been used off the left and was excellent against Real Madrid in that role.
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However, despite calls for Slot to use the German as a winger after that game, Robbie Fowler claimed the Liverpool ace is a 10.
He said: “I think he’s a number 10.
“I can’t see why people say he needs to come off the left, for me he’s a number 10. Liverpool are trying to shoehorn players into positions.
“It’s up to the manager to find a system and a way of playing to get the best out of players because Liverpool’s identity is not what it was a couple of years back.”
Is this Florian Wirtz’s best position for Liverpool?
West Ham United v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Florian Wirtz stats vs West Ham
With Salah now heading to the AFCON in the coming weeks, Slot has one less player to worry about fitting into his forward line.
But even if the Egyptian was staying, Sunday’s performance showed that Wirtz must be a regular starter moving forward and that he is capable of playing as a 10 in the Premier League.
Sofascore handed him a 6.9 rating on the day, with Gakpo their Man of the Match.
Wirtz made one key pass, had a passing accuracy of 95%, managed one shot on target, 52 touches and won three ground duels.
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