“Liverpool don’t normally do this” - Wayne Rooney identifies player who is damaging Arne Slot’s system after loss to Crystal Palace

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney pointed to Liverpool star Florian Wirtz's presence as detrimental to the system. The former Premier League striker suggested that multiple new players along the front line has made it difficult for the German to adjust to life in England.

Speaking on the Wayne Rooney Show, he said (via SPORTbible):

“It’s been tough for him,” said the former England captain. I don’t think there’s any denying that and he’ll be searching deep within himself to try and fix that."

“Liverpool don’t normally do this, and they’ve signed basically a whole new front line, they all want to do well. They’re all fighting against each other to get in the team, and I think Wirtz is the one who’s probably not doing as well, but he’s got so much ability.

“I would have went for Ekitike and Isak. I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool, how they play. But he’s a top player and I’m sure he will get better. Of course he will. But he’s had a slow start.”

Arne Slot's side were aggressive in the summer transfer window, spending over £300 million to revamp the front line that lost Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. Hugo Ekitike has hit the ground running for the Reds, collecting five goals and an assist in eight appearances. Alexander Isak, meanwhile, has been slowly ramped up to regular minutes and grabbed his debut goal in the Carabao Cup against Southampton.

Wirtz, however, is yet to notch his first goal contribution for Liverpool. The 22-year-old arrived for a reported fee of €125 million but has struggled to impress and will be looking for a quick turnaround.

Arne Slot makes honest admission as Liverpool suffer first loss of the season

A late winner from Eddie Nketiah subdued the Reds.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot conceded that his side were second-best in their 2-1 Premier League loss to Crystal Palace. Speaking after the game, the Dutchman stated that the Eagles' strong first-half ensured they merited all three points against the league leaders.

He said (via the Guardian):

“But when you look at the first half, they totally deserved to win. In the second half, it was a much better performance from us. If one team deserved to win, it was Palace.”

Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring for the hosts in the ninth minute as they continued to pile the pressure on throughout the first period. An 87th-minute equaliser from Federico Chiesa restored hope to salvage something from the game until Eddie Nketiah's stoppage-time winner quashed those hopes.

The result sees Liverpool drop points for the first time this season. The Merseysiders have needed late heroics to win all five of their starting Premier League fixtures but were unable to conjure up the same magic once more.