Florian Wirtz‘s performance against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield proved he has the capability to become Liverpool’s creator-in-chief, following the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
With the help of our partners at FotMob, we looked at the statistics behind Wirtz’s Wembley showing.
The sample size may be just a handful of pre-season matches, but already Wirtz has made clear that he is to take on the mantle of Liverpool’s creator-in-chief.
The departure of Alexander-Arnold, who racked up 86 assists in 354 appearances from right-back, left Arne Slot with the task of replacing the No. 66.
But how do you find a substitute for a unique player?
Well, you don’t. Instead, Liverpool have now turned to other positions to provide the forwards with the ammunition they need to convert chances.
Key to those plans is Florian Wirtz, the Reds’ new record arrival, and he has already shown why Liverpool were willing to spend £116 million on his signature.
Florian Wirtz was the creator vs. Crystal Palace
From the first pre-season glimpses we got of Wirtz, it became apparent that he wasn’t phased by responsibility.
While ultimately still a friendly, his performance in the Community Shield indicated his willingness to take on the role of Liverpool’s chief creator as he floated around the pitch, keeping play moving.
Only Virgil van Dijk, Kerkez and Dominik Szoboszlai had more touches than Wirtz’s 74.
Against Crystal Palace, FotMob tells us Wirtz created four chances, more than anyone else on the pitch.
Meanwhile, he also managed 11 passes into the final third, with only the opposition’s Adam Wharton matching that figure.
His performance merited the player-of-the-match title from FotMob, as he was rated at 8.1 out of 10 on what will hopefully be his first Wembley of many appearance for the Reds.
What Arne Slot has said about Florian Wirtz replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold
Following Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Athletic Club on Monday, Slot expanded on the idea that Wirtz had been brought in to replace Alexander-Arnold as part of a change of approach in attack.
The head coach said: “I think there’s always room for improvement, in every department. We’ve added a few, in my opinion, extra weapons.
“Florian has a lot of creativity in the final third. We’ve lost, with Trent, a lot of creativity from the back.
“So Trent’s crosses and picking out runners was so special; I think Flo has this quality as well – in a totally different position, but he brings that creativity.
“[We have also added] the pace of Hugo, the pace of both full-backs – Milos (Kerkez) and Jeremie (Frimpong).
“You need to make, in everything you do, the next step, because our competitors are not sitting still either.”
A change in approach from full-back
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 10, 2025: Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk and Jeremie Frimpong during the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool can’t solely rely on Wirtz to create chances, of course, and the altered use of full-backs will become a crucial part of the Reds’ system going forward.
With Conor Bradley injured, Frimpong played at right-back and immediately showed a different set of attacking attributes to what we became used to from Alexander-Arnold.
The Dutchman’s 21st-minute goal may have been a fluke, but it wouldn’t have come about without his constant forays down the right to reach the byline.
It was on the left, though, where we saw the most impact of the Reds’ fresh-faced full-backs, as Milos Kerkez created three chances and made seven passes into the final third.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 10, 2025: Liverpool's Milos Kerkez and Crystal Palace's Daniel Muñoz during the FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The Hungarian also made two successful dribbles and produced two accurate crosses from three attempted, all while being dispossessed on zero occasions.
Kerkez and Frimpong still have work to do defensively, but with the added competition of Andy Robertson and Bradley, as well as the creative output of Wirtz and Mo Salah, Liverpool look set to produce plenty of chances this season.
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