Hugo Ekitike just had a double against Brighton, bringing victory to Liverpool. In that match, Arne Slot's move of Mohamed Salah onto the field attracted a lot of media attention. However, it is not necessary to forget Ekitike's goals, once again proving the value of the young French striker.
Within 2 weeks, against Leeds and Brighton, Ekitike both scored a double. Unfortunately, in the match against Leeds, Liverpool's unfortunate 3-3 draw caused the highlight of Ekitike's performance to decrease. However, this time against Brighton, all the spotlights were on the 23-year-old star.
In his first 10 starts for Liverpool, Ekitike has scored 7 goals. This number is only lower than Daniel Sturridge (8 goals) and equal to Mohamed Salah. The Kop legends of the past such as Robbie Fowler and Sadio Mane have also only scored 6 goals in their first 10 starts.
Looking at the big picture, since the beginning of the season, Ekitike has played 23 matches and scored a total of 10 goals. The French striker's 7 goals in the Premier League with an xG of 4.4 and the conversion rate of shots into goals is 23%. Of the top players who have played at least 500 minutes this season, only Manchester City's Erling Haaland has a better non- Penalty ratio of over 90 minutes than Ekitike (0.72).
This past summer, when Liverpool spent money to buy Ekitike from Frankfurt, they thought the Reds had stopped at the center forward position. Then they detonated the blockbuster Alexander Isak (130 million pounds, the most expensive in Premier League history). It was thought that Ekitike would have to make a backup for Isak, but the opposite is happening.
Arne Slot has said he wants two strikers to rotate, but at this time, bringing Isak on seems meaningless because the Swedish striker is at the worst stage of his career.
In the context that Isak was waiting for opportunities to come to him on the field, Ekitike was the one who took the initiative to find that. On the pitch, the French striker struggled to move, cling to the wing, retreat to support and connect the lines together. The Ekitike has power, speed and is not afraid of collisions, and is easy to adapt to different tactical styles.
Last week's match against Inter was only the second time since the beginning of the season that Arne Slot has allowed Isak and Ekitike to start together in a 4-4-2 formation. This formation with a diamond midfield helps Liverpool play more solidly in midfield, but the two stars on the attack line are extremely out of sync. When Arne Slot sent the substitutes on in the second half, it was no surprise that Isak had to leave the pitch.
Florian Wirtz was later given priority over Isak in the starting lineup for the match against Brighton when Arne Slot adjusted the system to 4-2-3-1 and there were positive signs of increasing understanding between Wirtz and Ekitike. Liverpool looked much more harmonious in attack.
Ekitike possesses many unique skills in playing style. Only Joao Pedro (Ch Chelsea) has an average of more dribbles than Ekitike (3.5 times/90 minutes). Only Haaland (Man City) and Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest) have an average of more shots than Ekitike (3.1 shots/90 minutes). These indicators show that Hugo Ekitike is the creator of miracles.
Many factors have affected Liverpool's performance since the beginning of the season, but it seems no coincidence that The Kop have won 7/10 Premier League matches with a starting goal. In contrast, they have won just one of the six games the striker has not started.
With a week to prepare for the away trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday and another 7 days before welcoming Wolves at Anfield, rotating the squad will not be necessary. Therefore, "Red Brigade" fans can continue to witness Ekitike starting.
