Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised Florian Wirtz's "special" performance after the midfielder scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, describing the 22-year-old as "relieved" following weeks of criticism over his attacking output.

Wirtz doubled Liverpool's advantage after Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring, helping secure the Reds' fourth consecutive win across all competitions. Santiago Bueno pulled one back for Wolves in the second half.

The German international has faced scrutiny since joining Liverpool in an initial £100 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer. His lack of goals and assists had become a talking point despite solid overall performances.

Slot emphasized that Wirtz's contributions extend beyond statistics.

"In football, rightly so maybe, we mainly get judged on results and individuals mainly get judged on goals and assists and we sometimes forget what else is there to do during a game," Slot said.

The manager noted visible relief from both Wirtz and his teammates when the goal arrived.

"I could see with his reaction when he scored the goal and it was the same with his teammates, they were really happy for him," Slot said.

Slot believes Wirtz is gaining fitness and form with each appearance. The Dutch manager expects the goal to be the first of many for the former Leverkusen star.

"He is getting fitter and fitter and was getting closer and closer to his first goal and it is not a surprise he scores today. He will be the first to understand that one goal is not enough," Slot said.

The victory lifted Liverpool to fifth in the Premier League table. However, Slot acknowledged his side struggled to maintain control after taking a 2-0 halftime lead.

"Not that after the 2-1 we didn't have ball possession anymore but it was a much more equal game and then you are frightened every time when they do arrive," Slot said.

Liverpool continues to adjust without Mohamed Salah during the African Cup of Nations tournament.