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Former Chelsea midfielder has criticized Liverpool boss Arne Slot for playing Florian Wirtz as a left winger against Crystal Palace on Saturday. He said that the German's best position is as a No. #10 and playing him wide weakened the team.
The Reds faced Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday as both sides looked to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. Arne Slot decided to start Florian Wirtz on the left wing with Dominik Szoboszlai in the No. 10 role. However, he couldn't make a big impact and was subbed off for Federico Chiesa in the 74th minute.
During his time on the pitch, Wirtz completed 37/44 passes, made one key pass, completed 2/4 dribble attempts, and missed one big chance (via SofaScore). He also won 3/7 duels and attempted two shots, as Liverpool lost 2-1.
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After the game, former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley said on ESPN FC:
"If you are going to play him there, might as well not play him. If that's your mindset then you are weakening the team. He's better in the No. 10 role, he's not been great so far but that is his position. You put him out in the wider area, all of a sudden, you've got a player who is not great defensively and a left-back who is struggling.
"That doesn't make any sense, you have to give A. Florian Wirtz the best chance to succeed in his best position and you have to give protection to a young left-back who is at the moment finding it difficult to keep his head above water"
Liverpool signed Wirtz for an astonishing fee of £116 million from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, but he's managed just one assist in eight games across competitions this season.
Liverpool drop points for the first time this season as Crystal Palace move into second place
The Reds won the Premier League title last season and have spent over £400 million this summer as they look to defend it. They have had an excellent start to the campaign as well, winning five league games in a row before Saturday. However, their performances have left a lot to be desired this season.
Liverpool started poorly against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, as Ismaila Sarr gave the hosts the lead in the ninth minute. Alisson Becker then made three big saves after they went down 1-0. Jean Phillipe-Mateta also hit the post once.
Federico Chiesa restored parity in the 87th minute with a controversial goal, as it appeared to touch Mohamed Salah's hand in the buildup. However, Eddie Nketiah scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to secure the win for the hosts. Crystal Palace had 16 attempts with six being on target, as compared to the Merseysiders' 5/18 attempts on target.
The Eagles are now unbeaten in their last 18 games across competitions and have moved into second place in the Premier League standings. They sit three points behind Liverpool.
