New Wirtz numbers show why Liverpool no longer need to protect him
Florian Wirtz’s Premier League impact is now being backed up by another impressive set of numbers, and it is getting harder to frame Liverpool’s summer signing as a player who still needs time and protection.
That shift has been building for weeks, but the post-Newcastle picture makes it clearer, because the German is now producing both the headline moments and the underlying work that tends to travel from match to match.
We saw it again in the 4-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield on Saturday night, with Florian Wirtz scoring and assisting in the same Premier League game for Liverpool for the first time.
That is exactly the kind of “event” output that changes the mood around a player, but the more interesting part is what sits underneath it.
Gradient Sports summed it up in a stat dump that reads like a warning to anyone still treating Florian Wirtz as a slow starter.
Gradient Sports wrote: “After a slow start, Florian Wirtz has found his footing in the Premier League.
“No player has made more passes into a dangerous position (110), and his 147 line-breaking passes received ranks 6th among all players”
The Wirtz stat that shows Liverpool’s attack is evolving
After a slow start, Florian Wirtz has found his footing in the Premier League
No player has made more passes into a dangerous position (110), and his 147 line-breaking passes received ranks 6th among all players #LFC pic.twitter.com/pQm3qbFi3f
— Gradient Sports (@Gradient_Sports) February 4, 2026
A “pass into a dangerous position” and a “line-breaking pass received” are not just pretty phrases, because they describe the exact moments Slot’s team want to create.
They are the passes that move opponents, change the shape of a block, and turn a safe possession phase into a chance.
When a player is topping the league for passes into dangerous positions, it suggests Liverpool are not just giving Florian Wirtz touches, they are trusting him to find the needle.
That fits the eye test of recent weeks, with the 22-year-old playmaker taking up higher-value pockets and combining more naturally with Hugo Ekitike.
That partnership is already producing outcomes, with Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike now combining for six goals in all competitions this season.
It is also why the “protect him” discourse is starting to feel outdated, because the numbers are already doing the defending for him.
Why Wirtz no longer needs protecting at Liverpool
The raw production is there as well, and it is not just a hot week.
Florian Wirtz has 32 games for us this season, with six goals and six assists, while our No.7 has been particularly sharp in 2026 with five goals and two assists across nine matches.
| Category | Florian Wirtz |
|---|---|
| Season (all comps) | 32 games, 6 goals, 6 assists |
| 2026 form | 9 games, 5 goals, 2 assists |
| Link-up with Hugo Ekitike | 6 combined goals (all comps) |
| “Dangerous” passes | 110 (most in PL) |
| Line-breaking passes received rank | 6th (147) |
There is also a broader narrative shift around him, because the criticism from earlier in the campaign has started to sound like it belongs to a different player.
Jamie Carragher has already framed the Manchester City fixture as a moment for Florian Wirtz to answer the “little boy” line that Gary Neville used earlier in the season, because the German now looks more settled and more forceful in games.
Pat Nevin’s read was even more direct, describing Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike as part of a transition that is beginning to work, with the 22-year-old showing the imagination and vision that can make Liverpool fun to watch again.
For us, that is the key point.
Florian Wirtz is not just having a purple patch, because the passing profile suggests a repeatable influence, and that is when a slow start stops being a talking point and starts being a footnote.
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