‘Liverpool player is slowly becoming Anfield’s new star man’ after what he did vs Newcastle
Hugo Ekitike was in stunning form for Liverpool on Saturday as they swept aside Newcastle United at Anfield.
Liverpool beat Newcastle 4-1 to bring themselves back within a point of Chelsea, and above Man United for the time being.
The Reds went behind after Anthony Gordon scored midway through the first half, but a quick-fire double from their striker got them ahead, before Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate rounded off the scoring.
Ekitike has been a shining light for Liverpool this season, scoring 15 goals across all competitions since his big-money move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Alexander Isak is not expected to return from injury until at least March, with his teammate currently carrying much of the attacking burden.
Hugo Ekitike was ‘exceptional’ vs Newcastle United
Much of the branding of Ekitike when Liverpool signed him was about his all-around game.
The 23-year-old is a talented dribbler, and more than capable of holding the ball up and bringing others into play.
But Saturday’s performance was all about the France international’s goal-scoring. His first saw him find some space inside the penalty box to poke Wirtz’s ball across past Nick Pope.
| Hugo Ekitike | Vs Newcastle United |
| Minutes played | 84 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 17/19 |
| Shots | 6 |
| Touches in opposition box | 8 |
After a goal that showed his ability as a fox in the box, Ekitike’s second strike showcased a completely different type of striking play.
The forward ran off the back of Malick Thiaw, and was found by Milos Kerkez in space midway through the Newcastle half.
Faced up against the speedy German defender, Ekitike simply slowed down before speeding up, buying himself the space to poke a stunning finish with his right foot past Pope and into the bottom corner.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day on Saturday, Steph Houghton said: “You could tell he was really up for this game, I feel as though he wanted to really prove a point.
“He’s slowly becoming Liverpool’s star man, I think, with Isak injured. I think in that number nine position, in the run of form Liverpool have been on, I think tonight he was exceptional.
“He was involved in everything that Liverpool did well going forward.”
Steven Gerrard makes Ekitike comparison
Steven Gerrard was pitchside following the game, and compared Ekitike to former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.
The Spaniard was a hero at Anfield, scoring 81 goals in 142 games before his 2011 move to Chelsea.
“A lot of similarities, pace, power, you can score, you can assist,” Gerrard told Ekitike. “A lot of similarities.”
The Frenchman played down the Liverpool legend’s words, but there are plenty of links between how he began his career at Anfield and how Torres did.
Both players were 23 when they joined the Reds, having never played in England before. Torres, like Ekitike, enjoyed a strong start to the season and ended it with 33 goals across all competitions.
It will take some effort from the forward to match that output, but you would certainly not put it past him.