Florian Wirtz set a remarkable Premier League chance creation record as Liverpool came from behind to defeat Brentford 2-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
The German midfielder created nine chances from open play and assisted Victor Munoz’s second-half equaliser before Alexander Isak scored the winner to complete Liverpool’s comeback.
Wirtz was named Player of the Match after producing an impressive creative display, helping Liverpool break down Brentford’s defence in the second half and recover from a half-time deficit.
According to Opta data, Wirtz’s nine chances created from open play were the most by an individual in a Premier League match since Sadio Mane achieved the feat in January 2021.
His tally was also the highest recorded by an away player in the top flight for more than 15 years, with the previous benchmark dating back to Samir Nasri’s 10 chances created in August 2011.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola praised Wirtz’s ability to find space and create opportunities against teams that defend deep.
The match also marked a significant milestone for Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who led the side for the 200th time.
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The Dutch defender became only the eighth player in Liverpool’s history to reach 200 appearances as captain, joining a distinguished group that includes Steven Gerrard, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes and Jordan Henderson.
Gerrard tops the list with 470 matches as captain, followed by Yeats with 417, Hughes with 335 and Henderson with 268.
Of Van Dijk’s 200 matches as captain, 150 have come in the Premier League. He first led Liverpool out as captain in October 2018.
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