0 goals and 0 assists in 5 games! Wilz is definitely not a parallel player in the Premier League. Slot found the instruction manual

Wilz did not perform badly in Liverpool's first five games, but the transfer fee of up to £116 million means that there is higher expectations for him. The German player scored neither goals nor assists in the Premier League match against Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal and Burnley after the Community Shield gave Ekitic assists. Such a performance is considered a disappointment for a player who played 45 games last season, contributing 16 goals and 15 assists.

Although Wilz still did not directly participate in the goal against Atletico Madrid in Anfield, he delivered his best performance since joining. In the midfield position, he has a closer connection with his teammates, which is undoubtedly due to the natural attributes of Isaac, who made his first start. He created five chances—the highest in the game, only three fewer than the total of the previous four Premier League games—and also had the most touches in the opponent's penalty area, reaching eight.

Wilz should have received at least one assist: he dominated a lightning counterattack in the second half, and Salah's shot hit the post. But even if it was not directly converted into a goal, the calmness and confidence he showed when moving between the two lines and attacking in series proved that he was not overwhelmed by the expectations of the outside world.

"We all know how great he is, but sometimes people forget that he is just a 22-year-old who is playing football for the first time abroad," head coach Slott told reporters. "I only went abroad for the first time at the age of 46 last year. My whole life changed in the first two or three years. In addition, I joined a new club and adapted to the new tactical style. Leverkusen played 3-4-3 last year, and we played 4-3-3, so we may also have higher requirements for his defensiveness when we are out of the ball."

Slott has been depressing the pressure on Werz, but the high transfer fee is destined to make Werz the focus of attention. With his arrival, Liverpool's formation has changed from a traditional 4-3-3 formation to a formation closer to 4-2-3-1. This obviously had an impact on Salah, and his participation has declined compared to last season. Since both Werz and Ekitic tend to move to the left, the offensive center of gravity is obviously biased to the left.

But Slot seemed to have found a better balance against Atletico Madrid, and Fripen's return to the starting lineup was a key factor. As Sobosloy returned to the midfield and formed a double midfielder with Heraffenberg, Wilz gained more freedom to step forward and participate in the offense. Heraffenberg's calmness and physical confrontation, coupled with Sobosloy's ubiquitous presence, made Liverpool dominate the midfield.

The entire game, Sobosloy had the most steals (4 times), Heravenberg's highest number of victory against each other (7 times), and the two also ranked in the top four in terms of touches - Sobosloy had the highest number of steals in the game (107 times). The combination of back midfielders composed of two midfielders over 1.9 meters tall brings an unprecedented sense of security, which seems to be more suitable for Wilz's performance than the previous combination of Heraffenberg or Sobosloy with Curtis Jones or McAllister. In the next game, Liverpool will return to the Premier League to play against Everton, and this derby will be another test for Wilz. However, as his old teammate Fripen said after the game: "He has just started."