Florian Wirtz excites as Federico Chiesa reality for Liverpool clear – 5 talking points vs Wolves

Liverpool narrowly beat Wolves at Anfield to move up to fourth in the Premier League standings. This is what we spotted, with Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz scoring.

 

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves: Player Ratings

 

 

A veritable selection box of performances in a game of two halves for Liverpool, in beating Wolves 2-1, as one player really stood out and contributed to the win.

 

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves

 

Premier League (18) | Anfield

December 27, 2025

 

Goals: Gravenberch 41′, Wirtz 42′; S.Bueno 51’

 

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves: Quick Ratings

 

Star man: Florian Wirtz (9/10) was the standout, scoring his first goal and proving he is finally settled in the side.

 

Creative hubs: Curtis Jones (8) dominated with 125 touches, while Jeremie Frimpong (8) provided a vital opening assist.

 

Key starters: Hugo Ekitike (8) assisted Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch (8) impressed with a composed finish.

 

First PL start at Anfield: Federico Chiesa (6) worked hard on his first Anfield start but lacked his usual “super-sub” impact.

 

Alisson – 6 (out of 10)

 

Actually made a really good save ahead of the Wolves goal, but was unfortunate that it fell to Santiago Bueno rather than a teammate.

 

Not much to do other than that, bar some routine goalie stuff.

 

 

Jeremie Frimpong – 8

 

Was as much a Mo Salah replacement as Federico Chiesa, taking up a position high and wide on the right wing.

 

Carried the ball beyond the Wolves defence with pace down the right, cutting the ball back to Ryan Gravenberch for the opening goal.

 

Moved forward in the second half with the introduction of Conor Bradley at right-back and didn’t have as much of an impact from this higher starting point.

 

A valuable contribution in the first half, though, that gave us as good an idea as we’ve seen of where he fits in this team.

 

His hamstring also came through a few testing moments — a good sign.

 

Ibrahima Konate – 6

 

Still felt like other players were covering for him at times following missed interventions and sloppy passes.

 

 

Virgil van Dijk – 7

 

Led from the back through passing and organisation, and didn’t have too much to do defensively.

 

Completed numerous long passes to stretch the play, and finished the game having made 114 touches (second-most of any player).

 

Milos Kerkez – 7

 

Like a few of the other new signings he looks to have settled in this side now, and is increasingly looking like a more-than-able replacement for Andy Robertson.

 

Always on hand when needed to provide an option or bounce a pass down the left. Now needs a few more attacking contributions to build on his newfound solidity.

 

Curtis Jones – 8

 

Heavily involved, perhaps more so than it might have seemed when watching the game: a game-high 125 touches evidence of that.

 

Much of the attacking play went through him at some point, and he also made plenty of contributions in defence.

 

Finished the game having completed 105 of 112 attempted passes (94%), with an impressive 18 defensive contributions.

 

 

Ryan Gravenberch – 8

 

A nice, composed finish for his goal, in an ideal position on the edge of the area for the cut-back from Frimpong.

 

Was in a similar position to receive a pass from Florian Wirtz on the other side in the second half, but looked like he was pulled back as he shot.

 

Good on both sides of the ball, and more like the player we saw last season – who could step into the shoes of peak Fabinho.

 

Needs to keep this up against stronger opposition.

 

Alexis Mac Allister – 7

 

A good shift, and though he’s still not back to his best there are signs he can get there.

 

Operated in the Szoboszlai role in an advanced midfield position on the right, and seems more at home in a defensive sense in this part of the pitch, rather than deeper, where he has been bypassed too easily at times this season.

 

Played some nice passes and looked like a goal threat at times, too.

 

Federico Chiesa – 6

 

Many had been calling for Chiesa to appear more often from the beginning of games, and with Salah with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Italian made his first-ever league start for Liverpool at Anfield.

 

Though quite useful positionally, he didn’t have the same impact he has when coming on off the bench late in games.

 

Worked hard and also made some good defensive interventions when others were caught upfield.

 

Hugo Ekitike – 8

 

Had a couple of early sighters, one of which was a good chance on the break from Wirtz’s through-ball.

 

Returned the favour to his teammate, setting him up to score the second goal to give Liverpool some breathing space before half-time.

 

Good in the build-up and a constant threat to the opposition defence with his movement and presence.

 

Florian Wirtz – 9 (Man of the Match)

 

Even before his goal was the standout player on the pitch by some distance, despite there being some other decent performances in the first half.

 

Played a defence-splitting pass to send Ekitike through on goal. Would have been a very nice assist, but the striker hit the post.

 

Had 63 touches in the first half alone, one of them to score his first Premier League goal.

 

Brilliant bit of footwork to set up Gravenberch in the second half.

 

Looks settled in this Liverpool team now. Has found some confidence and has realised he’s better than most players in this league, just as he was in the Bundesliga.

 

Overall Team Performance – 7

 

 

 

Substitutes

 



 

Conor Bradley (on for Chiesa, 62′) – 7 – Great recovery tackle on Jhon Arias late on. A very important moment to keep his side ahead.

 

Cody Gakpo (on for Ekitike 86′) – N/A – Managed one of his trademark shots at the end of the game, and will be very useful to Slot off the bench or from the start of games in the coming weeks.

 

Trey Nyoni (on for Wirtz, 90+3′) – N/A – Midfielder on for an attacker for extra solidity in added time.

 

Subs not used: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Lucky, Robertson, Ramsay, Ngumoha

 

 

 

Arne Slot – 6

 



 

Slot’s starting XI was pretty much picked for him as a result of injuries and absences. Even so, it was still a surprise to see Chiesa start, given the head coach has been so reluctant to use him in the past.

 

Having dominated the first half with the goals to show for it, Liverpool were poor after half-time, and conceding a goal from a set-piece will not have pleased him.

 

If a team’s performance dips after half-time, the manager will always be questioned.

 

Had fewer options on the bench than he might have liked, but perhaps should have trusted Gakpo and Nyoni to come on sooner, and maybe introduced Rio Ngumoha too.

 

In the end, a fairly unconvincing win against the worst team in the league, but a win nonetheless.

 

Player ratings definitions: 10 = Faultless | 9 = Excellent | 8 = Very Good | 7 = Good | 6 = Average | 5 = Below Par | 4 = Bad | 3 = Very Bad | 2 Awful | 1 = Surely Not

 

Make Your Ratings

 

Liverpool vs Wolves (H)Avg1.Alisson–N/A123456789106.55.Ibrahima Konate–N/A123456789104.96.Milos Kerkez–N/A123456789106.44.Virgil van Dijk–N/A123456789106.110.Alexis Mac Allister–N/A123456789105.617.Curtis Jones–N/A123456789106.47.Florian Wirtz (↓90′)–N/A123456789108.430.Jeremie Frimpong–N/A123456789107.338.Ryan Gravenberch–N/A123456789106.814.Federico Chiesa (↓61′)–N/A123456789105.622.Hugo EkitLiverpool 2-1 Wolves: Player Ratings

 

 

A veritable selection box of performances in a game of two halves for Liverpool, in beating Wolves 2-1, as one player really stood out and contributed to the win.

 

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves

 

Premier League (18) | Anfield

December 27, 2025

 

Goals: Gravenberch 41′, Wirtz 42′; S.Bueno 51’

 

Liverpool 2-1 Wolves: Quick Ratings

 

Star man: Florian Wirtz (9/10) was the standout, scoring his first goal and proving he is finally settled in the side.

 

Creative hubs: Curtis Jones (8) dominated with 125 touches, while Jeremie Frimpong (8) provided a vital opening assist.

 

Key starters: Hugo Ekitike (8) assisted Wirtz, and Ryan Gravenberch (8) impressed with a composed finish.

 

First PL start at Anfield: Federico Chiesa (6) worked hard on his first Anfield start but lacked his usual “super-sub” impact.

 

Alisson – 6 (out of 10)

 

Actually made a really good save ahead of the Wolves goal, but was unfortunate that it fell to Santiago Bueno rather than a teammate.

 

Not much to do other than that, bar some routine goalie stuff.

 

 

Jeremie Frimpong – 8

 

Was as much a Mo Salah replacement as Federico Chiesa, taking up a position high and wide on the right wing.

 

Carried the ball beyond the Wolves defence with pace down the right, cutting the ball back to Ryan Gravenberch for the opening goal.

 

Moved forward in the second half with the introduction of Conor Bradley at right-back and didn’t have as much of an impact from this higher starting point.

 

A valuable contribution in the first half, though, that gave us as good an idea as we’ve seen of where he fits in this team.

 

His hamstring also came through a few testing moments — a good sign.

 

Ibrahima Konate – 6

 

Still felt like other players were covering for him at times following missed interventions and sloppy passes.

 

 

Virgil van Dijk – 7

 

Led from the back through passing and organisation, and didn’t have too much to do defensively.

 

Completed numerous long passes to stretch the play, and finished the game having made 114 touches (second-most of any player).

 

Milos Kerkez – 7

 

Like a few of the other new signings he looks to have settled in this side now, and is increasingly looking like a more-than-able replacement for Andy Robertson.

 

Always on hand when needed to provide an option or bounce a pass down the left. Now needs a few more attacking contributions to build on his newfound solidity.

 

Curtis Jones – 8

 

Heavily involved, perhaps more so than it might have seemed when watching the game: a game-high 125 touches evidence of that.

 

Much of the attacking play went through him at some point, and he also made plenty of contributions in defence.

 

Finished the game having completed 105 of 112 attempted passes (94%), with an impressive 18 defensive contributions.

 

 

Ryan Gravenberch – 8

 

A nice, composed finish for his goal, in an ideal position on the edge of the area for the cut-back from Frimpong.

 

Was in a similar position to receive a pass from Florian Wirtz on the other side in the second half, but looked like he was pulled back as he shot.

 

Good on both sides of the ball, and more like the player we saw last season – who could step into the shoes of peak Fabinho.

 

Needs to keep this up against stronger opposition.

 

Alexis Mac Allister – 7

 

A good shift, and though he’s still not back to his best there are signs he can get there.

 

Operated in the Szoboszlai role in an advanced midfield position on the right, and seems more at home in a defensive sense in this part of the pitch, rather than deeper, where he has been bypassed too easily at times this season.

 

Played some nice passes and looked like a goal threat at times, too.

 

Federico Chiesa – 6

 

Many had been calling for Chiesa to appear more often from the beginning of games, and with Salah with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, the Italian made his first-ever league start for Liverpool at Anfield.

 

Though quite useful positionally, he didn’t have the same impact he has when coming on off the bench late in games.

 

Worked hard and also made some good defensive interventions when others were caught upfield.

 

Hugo Ekitike – 8

 

Had a couple of early sighters, one of which was a good chance on the break from Wirtz’s through-ball.

 

Returned the favour to his teammate, setting him up to score the second goal to give Liverpool some breathing space before half-time.

 

Good in the build-up and a constant threat to the opposition defence with his movement and presence.

 

Florian Wirtz – 9 (Man of the Match)

 

Even before his goal was the standout player on the pitch by some distance, despite there being some other decent performances in the first half.

 

Played a defence-splitting pass to send Ekitike through on goal. Would have been a very nice assist, but the striker hit the post.

 

Had 63 touches in the first half alone, one of them to score his first Premier League goal.

 

Brilliant bit of footwork to set up Gravenberch in the second half.

 

Looks settled in this Liverpool team now. Has found some confidence and has realised he’s better than most players in this league, just as he was in the Bundesliga.

 

Overall Team Performance – 7

 

 

 

Substitutes

 



 

Conor Bradley (on for Chiesa, 62′) – 7 – Great recovery tackle on Jhon Arias late on. A very important moment to keep his side ahead.

 

Cody Gakpo (on for Ekitike 86′) – N/A – Managed one of his trademark shots at the end of the game, and will be very useful to Slot off the bench or from the start of games in the coming weeks.

 

Trey Nyoni (on for Wirtz, 90+3′) – N/A – Midfielder on for an attacker for extra solidity in added time.

 

Subs not used: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Lucky, Robertson, Ramsay, Ngumoha

 

 

 

Arne Slot – 6

 



 

Slot’s starting XI was pretty much picked for him as a result of injuries and absences. Even so, it was still a surprise to see Chiesa start, given the head coach has been so reluctant to use him in the past.

 

Having dominated the first half with the goals to show for it, Liverpool were poor after half-time, and conceding a goal from a set-piece will not have pleased him.

 

If a team’s performance dips after half-time, the manager will always be questioned.

 

Had fewer options on the bench than he might have liked, but perhaps should have trusted Gakpo and Nyoni to come on sooner, and maybe introduced Rio Ngumoha too.

 

In the end, a fairly unconvincing win against the worst team in the league, but a win nonetheless.

 

Player ratings definitions: 10 = Faultless | 9 = Excellent | 8 = Very Good | 7 = Good | 6 = Average | 5 = Below Par | 4 = Bad | 3 = Very Bad | 2 Awful | 1 = Surely Not

 

Make Your Ratings

 

Liverpool vs Wolves (H)Avg1.Alisson–N/A123456789106.55.Ibrahima Konate–N/A123456789104.96.Milos Kerkez–N/A123456789106.44.Virgil van Dijk–N/A123456789106.110.Alexis Mac Allister–N/A123456789105.617.Curtis Jones–N/A123456789106.47.Florian Wirtz (↓90′)–N/A123456789108.430.Jeremie Frimpong–N/A123456789107.338.Ryan Gravenberch–N/A123456789106.814.Federico Chiesa (↓61′)–N/A123456789105.622.Hugo Ekitike (↓86′)–N/A123456789107.112.Conor Bradley (↑61′)–N/A123456789106.718.Cody Gakpo (↑86′)–N/A123456789105.342.Trey Nyoni (↑90′)–N/A123456789105.4ike (↓86′)–N/A123456789107.112.Conor Bradley (↑61′)–N/A123456789106.718.Cody Gakpo (↑86′)–N/A123456789105.342.Trey Nyoni (↑90′)–N/A123456789105.4