It was an illustration of why needed to signal . However somewhat than congratulating themselves on their means to identify a participant, they have been left rueing the one who acquired away. This was the eviscerating proof of why they noticed him as ’s alternative and why, at instances this season, have had a potent striker even when the £125m man has been injured or ineffective.
As Ekitike’s title rang round Anfield, Newcastle acquired an undesirable reminder of what had attracted them. Twice, actually, given they first focused him when he as an alternative joined Paris Saint-Germain after which bid for him once more earlier than Liverpool pounced. “Ekitike is an impressive participant,” stated . He simply needs he might have proven it in a Newcastle shirt.
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With a predictability that was nonetheless devastating, Ekitike condemned his former suitors to defeat. In a fixture that tends to ship drama, he was the main man. A two-minute brace earned Liverpool a primary league victory of 2026. Even within the continued absence of Isak, condemned to the position of a spectator in an outsized membership coat, it turned a triumph of Liverpool’s recruitment. Milos Kerkez provided the move for Ekitike’s second. ended with an help and a objective. His partnership with the striker is more and more mouth-watering and the duo orchestrated a turnaround.
It signifies that Liverpool return to the highest 5. For all of the vitriol directed on-line at , Liverpool have solely misplaced as soon as of their final 16 matches. Additionally they addressed one criticism. That they had solely taken two factors from dropping positions within the Premier League all season. Three got here in an evening; within the house of a few minutes, actually.
And by way of Ekitike. Liverpool and Newcastle spent the summer time contesting the companies of two strikers. For a lot of the final six months, Ekitike has seemed the higher of them. He has needed to shoulder a heavy burden, with Isak’s impression so negligible, however he has finished so admirably.
He has 15 targets this season, 9 in his final 12 video games. Liverpool’s future is taking form as the brand new artistic mixture are quick growing a chemistry. Wirtz and Ekitike have a current behavior of teaming up for targets, often with the German because the scorer. This time, the Frenchman acquired the objective, Ekitike ending from Wirtz’s low cutback. Liverpool’s largest summer time purchase, Isak, was left applauding from his seat behind the substitutes.
Hugo Ekitike arrived within the field to poke house Liverpool’s equaliser (Getty Pictures)
Two minutes later Ekitike netted his second to ship Liverpool forward (Liverpool FC by way of Getty Pictures)
Ekitike’s second was good, a change of tempo fooling a dozing Malick Thiaw, a shot with the surface of his proper boot catching Nick Pope out. “You’ve acquired to provide loads of credit score, particularly the second objective,” stated Howe. “I assumed it was an unbelievable run and end.” Slot added: “From the beginning, he’s right here, everybody can inform how particular he’s, how briskly he’s.”
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Victory was secured by Wirtz’s splendidly exact end, bringing an help for in any other case out-of-sorts Mohamed Salah. After a protracted wait to open his account, it was a sixth objective in 10 video games for the £100m man and for Thiaw, who gave the ball away, one other second to neglect. Newcastle continued making errors. “How we have now conceded 4 is a thriller, however we didn’t defend nicely sufficient,” stated Howe. Pope was at fault for the fourth, spilling Dominik Szoboszlai’s nook to permit Ibrahima Konate to prod in. His celebration was understandably emotional after the current lack of his father. “I don’t have phrases to explain what I really feel proper now,” stated the defender. Slot had deliberate to provide Konate longer for compassionate depart, however the supervisor stated: “When he noticed the issues we had defensively he stated he needed to come back again to assist us.”
It was Konate’s first Premier League objective at Anfield and, for the primary time since August, Liverpool struck 4 instances in a top-flight recreation. Each the teamsheet and the scoresheet mirrored the knock-on impact of Ekitike’s selections. Howe benched the 2 strikers he purchased with the proceeds of Isak’s sale. His £125m double act, Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, got here on collectively after 73 minutes. The sport was passed by then. Neither contributed a lot anyway.
Anthony Gordon fired Newcastle into the lead (Reuters)
An emotional Ibrahima Konate scored Liverpool’s fourth on his return to the crew following the loss of life of his father (Reuters)
And but Howe’s preliminary alternative had been vindicated. He requested Anthony Gordon to steer the road, turning to a Liverpool fan and a participant despatched off towards his boyhood membership in August. This time, Gordon promised a special sort of explosive impression.
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“We needed to go along with actual tempo towards their again line and I feel Anthony performed rather well,” Howe defined. A relentless determine roamed to appreciable impact and Gordon drove in a low shot after he was inadvertently discovered by Alexis Mac Allister. It was the England worldwide’s first Premier League objective in open play for over a yr, a wierd statistic contemplating how prolific he has been within the Champions League and a cause why Newcastle are nonetheless lacking Isak’s targets. However Harvey Barnes had virtually struck first, rattling the publish after a well-worked free kick when Newcastle have been within the ascendant. “We had a really robust first half-hour,” stated Slot. By the tip, although, Ekitike might rub salt into Newcastle wounds when he stated: “Regardless that it wasn’t the most effective opponent we have now had as a result of I’d say it was a giant win and straightforward win.”
And an annual win. Newcastle’s away type stays problematic and, with or with out Isak, their journeys to Anfield are typically fruitless. They haven’t received right here for 3 many years and 30 years of harm have been compounded by the information it was Ekitike who prolonged their lengthy wait.