It was a difficult day for Liverpool at Selhurst Park after they dramatically lost to Crystal Palace in the final minutes of the game.
The first half was dominated by the Eagles, who found an opening through Ismaila Sarr after the Reds’ defensive errors, before Federico Chiesa pulled the away side back into the game, only for his equaliser to be cancelled out by an Eddie Nketiah strike to win 2-1.
Arne Slot and his side failed to live up to their usual expectations of winning late this season, and their display meant they deservedly lost their unbeaten streak in all competitions.
They still sit top of the Premier League, but their initial lead has now been cut short due to this loss. A loss should have been expected soon for a side who have won the majority of their games but not performed at their best and produced moments of magic to win.
This time, the Italian winger who had saved them in the opening game of the season could not do any more to help a starting XI that was hindered by some changes by the Dutch manager.
ESPN pundit Craig Burley questions Arne Slot’s choice regarding Florian Wirtz
There was nothing Slot could do to anticipate the individual performances of Ibrahima Konate and Milos Kerkez, but the left-back’s showing was hindered by the decision to start Florian Wirtz on the wing.
It was the first time this season that the manager decided to commit to starting the German midfielder on the left-hand side.
However, it was an experiment that did not pay off, with Cody Gakpo emerging from the bench to slot into that position while Wirtz moved back to midfield.
The issue was that he was not comfortable enough to play there, and his role as a No. 10 is much more natural, even if his initial games in the league have not seen him perform to his usual world-class abilities.
READ MORE: Three reasons Liverpool fans should not be worried by poor form following Crystal Palace defeat
ESPN pundit Craig Burley was one of those who was confused by the choice of moving the 22-year-old out onto the left despite having a natural winger on the bench.
During the analysis of the game, Burley said: “Well, if you’re going to play him on the left, then you might as well not play him. That’s your mindset. How can I squeeze him in? Then you’re weakening the team because he’s better in the No. 10 role, although he’s not been great.
“That is his position. You put him out in the wider area, and all of a sudden you’ve got a player who’s not great defensively on the left-hand side and a left back who’s just signed, who’s struggling.
“That doesn’t make any sense. You have to give Florian the best chance to succeed, and that’s in the best position. His best position is a No. 10, and you’ve got to give some protection to a young left back who is at the moment finding it difficult to keep his head above water, and playing a playmaker on the left-hand side against better teams is not the answer.”
Florian Wirtz will be back to normal against Galatasaray
While this switch did not pay off for the Liverpool boss, it does mean fans will get to see an improved and comfortable Wirtz back in a competition he is much more suited to, the Champions League.
It is a tournament where the new signing looked electric during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, and he performed well during the opening game for the Reds this season against Atletico Madrid.
Galatasaray should not be an issue for the player, and will be an opportunity to drift back into his favoured No. 10 position and show people his quality.
When he breaks out as one of the best in the world remains to be seen, but the cohesiveness of the team also needs to improve before we see him able to dictate play in the way supporters know he is capable of.
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