Liverpool manager Arne Slot opted to leave £240m of attacking talent on the bench against Everton, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz named among the substitutes
Arne Slot confirmed that Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz were named on the bench against Everton to help manage a hectic fixture schedule. Liverpool took on Everton at Anfield looking to continue their perfect start to the new season.
The champions have won their opening five matches in all competitions, but have needed late goals in each of them. Most recently, Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage time goal saw them beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
It’s been a quick turnaround for the Reds after that, with Everton the visitors in the first match of the Premier League weekend. And Slot has rotated his options, most notably not including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in his starting lineup.
Isak, a £125million signing from Newcastle, made his debut in midweek, while Wirtz has featured in every game to start the campaign. Speaking before the Merseyside derby, the Anfield boss admitted that the busy week played a part in his thinking.
He said: “We needed players that were going to be ready for this game and going to be fit enough for the intensity of the game from the start. That is what we tried to do throughout every line-up we have made against Burnley and Atletico for us to be ready for this game.”
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On the decision to rest Isak, he suggested that the Swede himself would agree with the decision for him not to start. “Normally when you don’t play a player I don’t think there is any player that says, ‘Ok I understand your decision’, ok maybe they understand it but they may have made a different one themselves.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you ask him today that he would say it’s the best choice for him not to start, but of course it is about match fitness. It was good to see him play for an hour in midweek, let’s see how many minutes he can make today.”
Wirtz hasn’t registered a goal contribution since the Community Shield, with Slot previously asking for patience with the £116m summer signing. He revealed that the German is still adapting to life in the Premier League, with the physicality of Dominik Szoboszlai instead preferred.
Slot continued: “The same thinking as Mac Allister on the bench against Atletico. Like I said it’s three games in seven days, not in eight days, this is Sunday, Wednesday then Saturday. This is one of the most intense games that we have to play, so we try to manage it during Burnley and Atletico.
“For today I think Szoboszlai, who played both of those games as well, is more used to the intensity of the Premier League and this programme than Florian is coming from Germany. So it’s only to do with so many games in limited time. I think he will feature, but not from the start.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
