Gary Neville Criticizes Florian Wirtz After Liverpool’s 3-0 Defeat to Manchester City
Liverpool, under manager Arne Slot, suffered a heavy 3-0 loss to Manchester City over the weekend, marking their fifth Premier League defeat of the season—already more than the four they conceded in the entire 2024/25 campaign. Former Manchester United and England star Gary Neville did not hold back in his critique of Liverpool’s summer signing Florian Wirtz.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring for City, followed by a goal from Nico Gonzalez just before halftime. Virgil van Dijk’s header, which briefly offered Liverpool hope, was controversially disallowed. Jeremy Doku added a third, leaving Liverpool with their worst defeat of the 2025/26 season so far. Despite significant investment in new players, the reigning champions have struggled to find form.
Neville highlighted Wirtz’s disappointing performance, noting that the £116 million German international looked out of his depth, particularly against players like Matheus Nunes. “Wirtz had a bad day,” Neville said, adding that physically and technically, the young midfielder was overpowered and failed to make an impact. Wirtz registered only 39 touches, failed with both his crosses, and had both of his shots blocked.
Despite the struggles, Neville emphasized that Wirtz has the talent but needs time and guidance to adapt to the Premier League. He suggested Liverpool might consider using him as a substitute to help him regain confidence and form.
So far this season, Wirtz has yet to contribute a goal or assist in 11 league appearances. Slot has experimented by moving him from a central role to his preferred left-wing position, but whether this will reignite his form remains uncertain.
Key Stats (Premier League 2025/26)
- Minutes: 693 (8th in squad)
- Average Passes per Match: 29.8 (11th)
- Pass Success Rate: 80.2% (14th)
- Shots per Match: 1.1 (7th)
- Key Passes per Match: 1.5 (tied 2nd)
- Dribbles per Match: 0.7 (5th)
- Overall Rating: 6.38 (16th)
Neville concluded that Liverpool must find a way to bring out Wirtz’s best, emphasizing persistence and patience as key to unlocking his potential.
