Florian Wirtz has now scored two goals in his last three Premier League games.
Things are still not exactly going to plan for Liverpool as despite being unbeaten in their last nine matches, four of them have been draws.
The last two in particular will have been worrying as they have struggled to create even though Wirtz has started to come to life, with the German needing a bit more help.
Fill in the blank: The most concerning thing about Fulham 2-2 Liverpool was __________
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He scored again, though, against Fulham, even if it did look offside, and appears to be going from strength to strength, but that did not stop his captain Virgil van Dijk from telling him what he now needs to work on.
Virgil van Dijk urges Florian Wirtz to focus on dealing with the intensity of the Premier League
Wirtz took a while to find his feet since moving for £116m, with one of the main reasons for this being due to the difference in leagues.
The Premier League is much faster paced than the Bundesliga and a lot more physical, which is why Wirtz has tried to bulk up to be able to deal with it.
It appears to be working too, although van Dijk believes that a bit more consistency is needed, with this being what he has urged the German to find.
“He has to be important and he wants to be important so he needs to keep on going and stay fit,” he said after the game to Sky Sports.
“He sees how intense it is and what the demands are every three or four days. That is something he needs to focus on: his own recovery and being ready to deal with the intensity that he puts in.
“Of course [Wirtz’s confidence is growing] but that is absolutely normal. Every human being who plays with more confidence, that will help their performances. It is the same with him. Hopefully it will continue and he keeps progressing.”
Florian Wirtz has had to manage without a winter break
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One thing that will be new to Wirtz, as well as Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong, compared to last season is that they have not had a winter break.
The Bundesliga pause their season just before Christmas and start again towards the middle of January, meaning players can rest and recover.
However, the demands of the Premier League do not permit this, meaning they have had to play right through and manage their body effectively.
Ekitike has struggled a bit with this, which is why he was absent for their trip to Fulham, but Wirtz and Frimpong will be relied upon, and they will be needed more than ever against Arsenal on Thursday.
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