Murphy singles out ‘brave’ performance after Liverpool win at Sunderland
Florian Wirtz received high praise from Danny Murphy following Liverpool’s 1-0 Premier League win over Sunderland, with our former midfielder highlighting the German’s bravery, work-rate and influence on our attacking play.
Speaking on Match of the Day after we became the first side to win at the Stadium of Light in the league this season, Murphy focused on the performance of the 22-year-old.
Murphy said: “He’s brave, and of course, the more he plays and the more he’s loved by the fans, the more confident he gets.
“But this as well, the defensive work, winning the ball back, having the physicality to be able to, when you play as a 10, to get back and help the midfield lads, and there wasn’t too many of Liverpool’s good moves tonight that he wasn’t involved in.”
That assessment felt accurate.
Wirtz central to Liverpool’s control at Sunderland
Florian Wirtz was at the heart of almost everything good we produced in the first half.
He struck the post with his left foot, forced Robin Roefs into a strong save from distance and tested the Sunderland goalkeeper again with a header, as we dominated possession with 68% of the ball.
According to Sofascore, Wirtz completed 54 of 61 passes, an 89% success rate, with 42 of those accurate passes coming in the opposition half.
Florian Wirtz vs Sunderland
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Shots | 5 |
| xG | 0.62 |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 54/61 (89%) |
| Touches | 81 |
| Successful dribbles | 2/2 |
| Recoveries | 6 |
The playmaker also carried the ball 15 times for a total distance of 112.8 metres, underlining Murphy’s point about his work in both directions.
Wirtz won four of his 11 ground duels and made a tackle, demonstrating the physical growth he spoke about before the match when he explained that he had “spent a lot of time in the gym”.
Praise building around Wirtz influence
Murphy is not alone in his admiration.
Steven Gerrard went even further, calling the Germany international’s technical level “world class” and admitting he would have “loved to play with this kid”.
What stands out is the consistency of the praise.
Against Sunderland, even without getting on the scoresheet, Wirtz was involved in five shots, created two chances and hit the woodwork once, while maintaining control in possession.
With Liverpool now on 42 points and back within touching distance of the Champions League places, performances like this matter.
Wirtz may not have scored at the Stadium of Light, but as Murphy pointed out, there were not too many of our best moves that did not involve him.
On a difficult pitch and in a hostile atmosphere, that is the mark of a player growing into his role.
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