Liverpool's Florian Wirtz challenge: Do nine chances created in 2-1 win outweigh being physically overmatched?

Liverpool’s $135 million playmaker leads the Premier League in chances created, but ongoing physical struggles raise questions about whether he can ever truly dominate in England

LONDON — Florian Wirtz's critics probably have a point. For $135 million, you probably don't want a player who is so easily physically overwhelmed, who seems utterly out of step with the needs of the modern Premier League. You want a player who can grab a contest from the off and bend it to his will. Wirtz is yet to do that. Given that the problems that plague him in year two are much the same as 12 months ago, it is valid to ask whether it is ever going to click for Liverpool and the man who was supposed to be the totem of his possession play. Whatever he changes, Wirtz isn't going to gain a couple of inches in height or tack on the half dozen kilos that would get him around league average weight for his position.

In the biggest, strongest and most athletic football league in the world, there is always going to be an opponent who can rag doll him like Brentford did today, where Wirtz put up an 11.1% success rate in duels. When he and his teammates were convinced he should have had a penalty in the first half, it was hard to shake the sense that a stronger player than Wirtz would have held Yehor Yarmolyuk on his shoulder, at least getting