Florian Wirtz dropped to the bench for Liverpool’s trip to Chelsea, with Arne Slot hinting at his decision to return to a more tried-and-trusted midfield trio. Wirtz has attracted growing criticism during a quiet start to life at Liverpool, with just one assist from his nine appearances so far. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of kickoff, Slot was questioned on his decision to omit Wirtz, and while he avoided any specific explanation he hinted that it came due to the challenge of facing Chelsea. The clash with Chelsea is likely to be different, with a more robust, physical midfield required – and therefore the decision to start Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. But Wirtz has seemingly not been dropped as such – simply that his qualities are best-used in other fixtures.