As poor as Wirtz: Slot must bench Liverpool dud who lost the ball 19x against Leeds
Liverpool commenced their 2025 campaign with an exciting 2-2 draw against Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United. As they moved into 2026, another draw followed, which – as the Athletic’s James Pearce would describe – was a “dismal” match, ending with a score of 0-0 between Arne Slot’s Reds and Daniel Farke’s Leeds United.
Following four consecutive victories across all competitions, this served as a harsh wake-up call for the defending Premier League champions, managing only one meager shot on target against Lucas Perri’s goal in the second half from the lacklustre home side. Florian Wirtz had believed he had made strides at Anfield, having recorded a goal and an assist against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers in December, but he appeared to lack confidence again down the left flank against a resolute Leeds squad.
Wirtz’s disappointing performance in statistics
After receiving praise as being “brilliant” in recent weeks prior to the match from Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen forward likely hoped to kick off 2026 in the same vein as he concluded his inconsistent 2025. Regrettably for the Anfield crowd, he fell back into old habits, appearing hesitant in Liverpool’s forward areas against Leeds, with only one out of his four attempts on the well-defended Leeds net actually on target. One attempt sailed well over the bar in the first half.
Additionally, Wirtz did not manage to execute a successful dribble, despite having dazzled against the Wolves’ defence with seven successful advances recently. Struggling too with two of his three tackles attempted on the evening, it was an unsatisfactory showing from a midfielder who needs to start delivering consistent performances soon if he is to justify his hefty £116m price tag.
Having produced an “alarmingly poor” performance, it will be interesting to see if the Dutchman continues to utilize Wirtz down this left flank, with Cody Gakpo also available as the Reds prepare to face Fulham next. However, Slot has more than just this selection dilemma to contemplate.
Liverpool player must be benched after Leeds performance
Defensively, Slot would have found satisfaction with the efforts of Ibrahima Konate, as the frequently shaky centre-back won all ten of his duels valiantly, aiding Alisson in achieving his 100th clean sheet in the Premier League. However, he would have felt less pleased with Conor Bradley’s performance at right-back, as the 22-year-old’s tenth Premier League start of the current season resulted in one of his most disappointing displays.
Bradley’s statistics on performance
Stat
Bradley
Minutes played
79
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
70
Accurate passes
31/41 (76%)
Key passes
0
Accurate crosses
0/2
Possession lost
19x
Successful dribbles
1/1
Tackles won
0
Total duels won
5/10
Stats provided by Sofascore
Much like Wirtz, the Northern Irishman did excel against Rob Edwards’ team to conclude 2025 impressively, making five tackles and duels won to control the Old Gold’s attack. However, during the game against Leeds, the number 12 was far from valiant in this regard, winning only 50% of his duels by the final whistle, while failing to make any challenges against a resolute Whites squad.
He also did not contribute much offensively, with the right side being dominated by Jeremie Frimpong, who constantly advanced with impressive speed, while Bradley managed just one successful dribble and no accurate crosses into the penalty area.
Recklessly surrendering possession 19 times, too, Slot may lack confidence in maintaining faith in the one-time Bolton Wanderers loanee, with Frimpong possibly reverting to the right-back position against Fulham, taking into account that Wirtz’s former Bundesliga teammate succeeded in winning five duels as a lively threat.
Even Wirtz fared better in ball retention, having squandered possession 15 times overall, while both of Liverpool’s flanks during the match suffered from disappointing performances. He at least left the match with a couple of key passes created, but it was still far from an impressive performance from the unpredictable number seven.
Slot will be eager for a much more vibrant overall showing from his squad when they head to Craven Cottage next, as he lamented his team’s lack of decisiveness after the match, with both Bradley and Wirtz certainly at risk of falling out of his starting XI considerations.
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Published: 2026-01-02 09:10:00
source: www.footballfancast.com
