A first Premier League defeat for Andoni Iraola since January, ten-man Liverpool were sidelined late on Sunday after Ryan Gravenberch’s red card.
All the talk before the match was about Manchester City’s off-field controversies, but in the end it was the on-field controversy that was decisive, with the Dutchman undoubtedly dismissed in soft circumstances.
Unfortunately, the Reds have bigger concerns at the moment, including the ongoing struggles of £116m international Florian Wirtz, who is still on Merseyside.
As the weekend’s defeat demonstrated, patience is starting to wear thin with the Germans, and for good reason. Is his time at Anfield over?
Will Liverpool sell Florian Wirtz in January?
It says all of Wirtz’s Liverpool struggles that since the start of last season, the former Bayer Leverkusen man has created just five “big chances”, none of which have come in 2026/27.
For a player of supposed quality, Morgan Gibbs-White, for example, created seven great chances as the division’s leading scorer.
Given that Wirtz is also yet to find the back of the net, yet to score in the Premier League this term, with just one assist under his belt it’s easy to see why there are calls to take him out of the firing line.
Whether or not the 23-year-old can be sold in 2027 could also be a question, with TEAMtalk reporting last month that Bayern Munich are strongly interested in a move, having recently sounded the player’s representatives again.
The same report revealed that Liverpool are holding on to their man as it stands, while any sale would have to see them make a profit on their initial, eye-watering investment. They have already lost a certain Luis Diaz to Bayern as well.
Diaz (24/25) vs. Wirtz (25/26) | ||
|---|---|---|
Diaz | Stat (*per game) | Wirtz |
36 | Games | 33 |
13 | Objectives | 5 |
11 | Big chances were missed | 8 |
5 | helps | 3 |
8 | Great chances were created | 5 |
1.6 | Key links* | 1.8 |
86 | Transition Accuracy* | 85% |
1.5 | Succ. dribbling* | 1.2 |
3.8 | Total duels won* | 3.0 |
8.4 | Ball lost* | 11.5 |
The piece also noted that the Reds were hoping for a spell with Germany under Jurgen Klopp to be productive, but even an encouraging international break could not spark a lift in form against City.
It’s unlikely to go on sale in January, so it looks like the runway could be on the agenda for next summer.
Wirtz’s exit is not an immediate issue, so the Reds need to trade others in January.
Forget Wirtz: The Liverpool man looks finished at Anfield
For all the investment managed by Richard Hughes, Sunday exposed the relatively tame nature of Andoni Iraola’s squad.
Attack has been a key area in terms of expensive reinforcements, but with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo out, along with Hugo Ekitike, the Reds look woefully short on options.
All that said, even if it wasn’t a hat-trick, Iraola still didn’t call on Federico Chiesa until the 88th minute, with the injury-plagued Italian becoming a forgotten man at Anfield.
The only big signing under Arne Slot in 2024, Chiesa remains a Liverpool player, which is quite remarkable, not least considering he only started two league games in that time.
Of course fitness was a major concern, but as they say the best ability is availability, the former Juventus man unfortunately can’t stay injury free for long.
There’s no denying Slott in particular needs to call on him more regularly, though again, his physical condition has been a factor in his continued peripheral role.
For a man reportedly earning £150,000-a-week, Liverpool expected more, with the flying winger making just 51 appearances for the club in all competitions to date.
The 28-year-old had a cult-hero vibe, but returning just five goals and five assists makes bad reading for any high-profile forward.
Now in his third season, Chiesa’s time has come and gone, no doubt along with Wataru Endo saying Iraola was dropped from the Champions League squad.
European moves could be a pathway to game time for him, but now he won’t see much in the way of participation as the season progresses, having already spent most of this year sidelined with injury.
The fees paid to the likes of Wirtz and Bradley Barcola have ensured the pair have withstood more scrutiny, but even so, one cannot forget what a sad signing Chiesa made.
Of course, it feels like January will be the time to change Italian permanently, and Wirtz can enjoy the execution until the summer.