Ekitike’s Ascendancy: Liverpool’s Striker Finds Form Amidst Team Changes

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has made a significant impact recently, scoring five goals in his last four matches, indicating that he is beginning to acclimate to the Premier League. However, head coach Arne Slot has acknowledged that he had to motivate Ekitike to reach his current level of performance.

The 22-year-old forward netted goals in his first three appearances following his transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, but the arrival of Alexander Isak for £125 million overshadowed his early success. Ekitike then faced a challenging period, managing only three goals in his subsequent 17 games, as the integration of the British record signing and the team’s on-field difficulties affected his form.

With Isak currently sidelined for several months and Mohamed Salah representing Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations, Ekitike now carries a heavier burden of responsibility for the team. Slot has noted that Ekitike’s continued adaptation to the physical demands of English football is now producing positive results. He stated, “He showed a lot of hard work to get to this fitness level where he is at the moment. It sometimes required a bit of convincing from me that this effort was necessary to become stronger. He consistently put in the work, albeit not always with a smile, to improve his fitness both on and off the pitch.”

Slot emphasized the importance of defensive discipline, particularly during set-pieces, stating, “The better you defend a set-piece, the greater the opportunity you have to score at the other end. If the score is tied at 0-0, it is often easier to find the back of the net than if you are trailing 1-0. This can significantly affect the energy levels of the opposing team. For both him and the team, it is crucial to avoid conceding from set-pieces.”

As Liverpool prepares for their home match against bottom-placed Wolves, they are currently on an unbeaten streak of six matches, comprising four victories and two draws. It appears the team has turned a corner after experiencing nine losses in their previous twelve encounters.

Despite their improved results, Slot noted that the performances have not differed significantly from earlier in the season. He remarked, “The primary change has been that, aside from the second half against Brighton (a 2-0 victory on December 13), we haven’t conceded as many chances as we did previously. I believe we have also enjoyed a bit more luck compared to earlier games, where we clearly outperformed our opponents.”

In the recent match against Tottenham, Slot commented, “I don’t believe we created significantly more chances against them, and our performance against Brighton was relatively equal as well. In those two matches, we secured victories, but many times prior, we were unluckily left without the desired results. In our last two games, I wouldn’t say we didn’t deserve the wins, but they were more balanced contests than several others we lost.”