Florian Wirtz’s impressive recent form at Liverpool has been driven by his growing understanding with his teammates, according to head coach Arne Slot.

The £100 million signing endured a difficult start to his Premier League career after arriving from Bayer Leverkusen, failing to register a goal or assist in his early appearances. His breakthrough came on December 20, when he provided an assist for Alexander Isak in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham.

A week later, the 22-year-old netted his first league goal for the club. Since then, Wirtz has gone from strength to strength and now heads into Sunday’s home clash with Manchester City having scored six goals in his last 10 matches for the reigning champions.

Slot praised the midfielder’s dedication and work ethic, highlighting the importance of patience during his early struggles.

“First and foremost, the credit always goes to the player,” Slot said. “He has to do the work, not only on the pitch but also in the gym. As a manager, even if he is struggling physically at the start, you need to keep playing him. That’s the only way players can improve.”

The Liverpool boss admitted that ignoring early criticism and continuing to trust Wirtz has paid off.

“Maybe now he has a better connection with his teammates because they’ve played together more,” Slot explained. “That’s what happens when players spend more time on the pitch together. But the biggest improvement I see is in his work off the ball.”

Slot stressed that success in the Premier League requires more than just technical ability.

“That combination makes you ready for this league,” he added. “It’s not only about what you do on the ball, but also what you do without it.”

Liverpool’s meeting with Manchester City has often played a decisive role in the title race in recent seasons. However, heading into this weekend’s clash, only City remain in realistic contention to challenge leaders Arsenal, with Liverpool currently 14 points behind the Gunners.

Despite the gap, Slot sees the fixture as an important benchmark for his squad.

“It’s another moment for us to see where we are in our development,” he said, following last weekend’s 4-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield. “We know how important the result is, especially at this stage of the season when every point matters.”

He also praised City’s continued strength.

“They are a very good team. They were able to beat Newcastle in midweek, even without their regular starters, and we beat Newcastle at the weekend. That tells you what a force City still is and always will be.”