Liverpool’s season continues to feel like a strange contradiction. On paper, progress is being made. Results are improving. Wins are being collected. The Reds are back inside the top four, climbing steadily after a difficult start to the campaign. Yet for those watching closely, every game still feels like an emotional test. Nothing comes easily. Nothing feels calm. And even when Liverpool win, they somehow manage to make it painful.
The latest example comes at Anfield against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The final score says Liverpool 2, Wolves 1. Three points secured. A job done. But the feeling inside the stadium, and later among fans online, tells a much more complicated story. Once again, Liverpool finish the game hanging on. Once again, they invite pressure late on. Once again, supporters are left holding their breath as the clock ticks down.
Arne Slot’s revival project continues, and there are signs of progress everywhere if you squint hard enough. Ryan Gravenberch opens the scoring, showing confidence and timing in midfield. Before the break, Florian Wirtz finally gets his moment, finishing a move that feels like a weight lifted from his shoulders. Anfield roars not just because of the goal, but because of what it represents. Relief. Belief. Hope.
For Wirtz, this goal matters more than most. Since arriving in England for a massive £116m fee, the German playmaker has lived under a spotlight few players ever truly experience. Every touch judged. Every pass analysed. Every quiet game turned into a talking point. Being a record signing does not come with patience. It comes with pressure, and Wirtz has felt it from day one.
Yet slowly, almost quietly, something has been changing. Before this Wolves game, Wirtz had already begun to influence matches in less obvious ways. He assisted Hugo Ekitike last week. He started finding pockets of space. His movement improved. His confidence grew. Against Wolves, it finally comes together in a way everyone can see. The goal arrives, and with it, a sense that this Liverpool chapter may just be starting properly for him.
He plays with energy, bravery, and purpose. He wins duels. He dribbles past defenders. He takes responsibility. Statistically, he stands head and shoulders above many on the pitch, but beyond the numbers, there is something more important. He looks alive. He looks like a player who belongs. For the first time since joining, it feels like Wirtz is wearing the Liverpool shirt instead of carrying it.
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This matters because Liverpool, as a team, have been far from balanced this season. There have been gaps. There have been slow buildups. There have been moments where the midfield feels disconnected from the attack. In that chaos, Wirtz has often been blamed unfairly, expected to fix everything simply because of his price tag. Against Wolves, he shows that given the right moments, he can make a real difference.
But football is never just about one player. As Wirtz rises, attention inevitably turns to those around him. And against Wolves, one attacking teammate finds himself moving in the opposite direction. Federico Chiesa finally gets a rare Premier League start at Anfield, and it becomes a moment that may define his Liverpool future.
Chiesa arrived from Juventus for what seemed like a bargain fee. Talented. Experienced. A player with pedigree. Yet from the moment he arrived, opportunities have been limited. Injuries, competition, tactical choices, and form have all combined to keep him on the fringes. This Wolves match, however, is different. This is his chance. With absences and rotation, the door opens, just slightly, and Chiesa steps through. Unfortunately for him, he does not make it count.
From early on, he struggles to influence the game. He touches the ball rarely. He fails to beat his man. He loses duels. The right wing feels quiet whenever play moves in that direction. While he is involved in the build-up to Gravenberch’s goal, that moment proves to be the exception rather than the rule. As the minutes pass, his presence fades.
Observers note the lack of intensity. The lack of sharpness. The lack of impact. When Liverpool need energy and directness, Chiesa offers neither. He is substituted after just over an hour, leaving the pitch knowing this may have been his one big audition. The ratings reflect the performance. The numbers are brutal. No shots. No assists. No completed dribbles. Lost duels. Minimal involvement.
For a player earning significant wages and approaching the prime years of his career, this is worrying. Especially at a club like Liverpool, where competition is relentless and patience is thin. Arne Slot watches from the sidelines, arms folded, taking notes not just for this match, but for the future.
The irony is hard to ignore. As Florian Wirtz grows into life on Merseyside, another attacker looks increasingly out of place. Liverpool have options. Liverpool have depth. And Liverpool are not a club that carries passengers for long.
There is also context that works against Chiesa. Mohamed Salah will return from AFCON. Jeremie Frimpong has already been used in advanced roles. Younger players are pushing. New signings are being discussed. The margins are shrinking, and Chiesa’s latest performance does nothing to protect his place.
Rumours from Italy begin to resurface. Interest from his homeland. Clubs watching closely. Questions being asked. From a business perspective, the decision becomes clearer by the week. Liverpool’s owners are not sentimental. They are strategic. If a player does not fit, does not start, and does not progress, they move on.
That does not mean Chiesa lacks quality. On the contrary, his goals off the bench earlier in the season show his finishing instinct remains sharp. He has contributed when used as an impact substitute. But perhaps that is exactly what he is now. A bench option. A moment player. Not a starter.
For a footballer who wants regular minutes, international recognition, and rhythm, that role may not be enough. And for a club rebuilding under a new manager, compromises are rarely made.
As Liverpool close out the Wolves match, anxiety fills the final minutes. A set-piece conceded. Pressure mounting. Fans shouting instructions that players cannot hear. It ends in relief rather than celebration. Three points banked. Another lesson learned.
The league table looks healthier now. The performances still need work. Arne Slot continues to reshape the team, slowly imprinting his ideas. Some players are growing into his system. Others are drifting away from it. Florian Wirtz looks like the future. Federico Chiesa looks like a question mark.
Football is ruthless in this way. One man’s breakthrough becomes another man’s warning sign. One goal can change a narrative. One quiet performance can end a chapter. Liverpool move on. The season continues. The decisions loom closer. And as the noise settles after another tense Anfield afternoon, one truth remains clear. Liverpool are improving, but not everyone will be part of what comes next.
