Florian Wirtz is coming into his own at Liverpool, but another player is challenging him for the most creative player in the side.
You might not think it from watching the games, but Liverpool create more chances in the Premier League than any other team.
It certainly doesn’t feel as free-flowing as seasons gone by, but with Wirtz finding form for Liverpool, it’s only going to improve in that regard.
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Florian Wirtz celebrates in front of the Anfield crowd after scoring for Liverpool against Wolves in the Premier League.
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He’s not the only one putting up impressive creative numbers. In fact, the player he was tipped to replace is matching him.
Dominik Szoboszlai rivalling Florian Wirtz in creative numbers
He may have had a bit of a slip-up on Monday night, but Dominik Szoboszlai has been Arne Slot’s most reliable player this season.
While Wirtz has taken some time to get to the level we were expecting from him, Szoboszlai has been immense all season.
He’s an absolute machine and does the running work of two players in most games, but he’s also key to Liverpool’s creative play.
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As per WhoScored, he has made more successful passes into the final third than any player in the Premier League this season (354), while Wirtz is in third place (337). He makes slightly more progressive passes (6.29 per 90) than his German teammate (6.18), and the two are neck and neck in terms of shot-creating actions.
Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai for Liverpool
Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images
You would have thought Wirtz would be further ahead in these areas. That’s his specialty. But Szoboszlai is matching pace.
Before joining Liverpool, the Hungarian strung together four straight campaigns with double-digit goal involvements in the league at Salzburg and Leipzig. He plays a less advanced role for Liverpool, but he has that number 10 skillset in his locker.
Liverpool need both for different reasons
After the Barnsley match, we came to the conclusion that Wirtz will be more important for Liverpool going forward.
Even with the creative numbers slightly favouring Szoboszlai, the form of the two over the course of the season has to be taken into account. As does the roles they will be playing.
Szoboszlai can cover every blade of grass, and his range of ball-striking is among the best in the league, shots and passes.
Who was the best striker of the ball, Szoboszlai, Riise or Gerrard?
They've all scored from outside the box for Liverpool in the PL, CL, FA and EFL Cup
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Naturally then, he will find himself in deeper positions than Wirtz. His creativity can be utilised to get the ball into the final third, and the half-spaces specifically. That’s where the German can cause constant danger with one or two world-class strikers in front of him.
We also can’t forget that Mohamed Salah is coming back from AFCON — a player who threatened to break the Premier League assists record last season.
Szoboszlai having the same kind of creative impact as Wirtz can only benefit the Reds, and one thing is certain. They both need to start.
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