It’s challenging to label a £79m summer acquisition the overlooked forward, even during a £450m spending frenzy. Nonetheless, there have been moments when Hugo Ekitike has been the unrecognized striker for Liverpool. He seems fated to remain in the shadows; his brief moment of fame came with a foolish red card.
His goals, however, often end up being relegated to the sidelines. Take the last two Saturdays as an example. Ekitike has netted back-to-back doubles, becoming the youngest Liverpool player to score twice in consecutive Premier League matches since Michael Owen in 2001. Yet, each time, the focus shifted to Mohamed Salah: first with his interview at Elland Road and later his return against Brighton.
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The first instance, arguably, began to pivot around others as Leeds made a comeback following Ekitike’s brace. Initially, Anton Stach’s goal seemed the decisive moment of the match, followed by Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike to regain Liverpool’s advantage, culminating with Ao Tanaka’s equalizer in the 96th minute.
This fit into a recurring theme. Ekitike’s season kicked off with three goals in as many matches, each leading to further excitement. His early goal in the Community Shield marked a dynamic beginning to his Liverpool tenure, but they lost in the shootout. He netted the first goal of the Premier League season, yet it was Federico Chiesa’s appearance that secured victory over Bournemouth, with Salah making the final impact. Then came a remarkable matchup at Newcastle: Ekitike’s goal lacked the breathtaking quality of the 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha’s winner in the 100th minute.
Perhaps it made it slightly more comprehensible that Ekitike craved attention following his Carabao Cup winner against Southampton: removing his shirt to showcase it while already on a yellow card was, in Arne Slot’s words, “foolish” and “unnecessary.”
Yet, Ekitike has found himself in a peculiar situation this season. The most expensive backup striker in the Premier League has appeared the most effective. However, he has also looked like the top centre-forward at Anfield, frequently becoming a casualty in favor of Alexander Isak.
Hugo Ekitike has been quietly effective for Liverpool this season (AFP via Getty Images)
Even as one-third of his league appearances have come from the bench – and he missed an additional match due to suspension from the incident against Southampton – only Erling Haaland and, surprisingly, Igor Thiago currently boast more Premier League goals than the Frenchman. Of those who have netted at least six times, only the men from Manchester City and Brentford surpass his rate of 0.72 goals per 90 minutes. Moreover, unlike him, they are tasked with penalty responsibilities.
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Ekitike averages a goal every 124 minutes in the Premier League, while Isak has one – and it’s only one – every 493. Hence, it’s no surprise to see a marked difference in outcomes when each player starts. They have clinched seven out of ten league matches with the less expensive forward, earning 22 points. With the £125m player, they’ve managed just one victory in six, netting a mere four points.
Typically, it has been a choice between the two, but only one of Ekitike’s goals, against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League, happened while Isak was on the field. They’ve started together on two occasions: in Germany, when Isak was injured, and against Inter Milan, when the Swede was underwhelming.
Alexander Isak has been largely ineffective since his move to Liverpool (REUTERS)
Part of it centers on sharpness. A few weeks back, Slot remarked that Isak had only sprinted over 30 km/h once. In contrast, according to Opta, Ekitike made 25 high-intensity runs against Brighton alone. Yet in the effort to acclimate Isak, both he and Liverpool have faced challenges.
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By every measure, Ekitike has been markedly superior. In the Premier League, he registers 3.11 shots per 90 minutes to Isak’s 2.57, and 0.93 on target compared to 0.55, with an xG of 0.44 versus 0.37; Ekitike is exceeding his expected goals, while Isak is falling short. The Frenchman is considerably more engaged, averaging 34.1 touches per 90 minutes to the Swede’s 22.8. He makes contacts with the ball more frequently: in his own final third, the opponent’s, the middle, and the penalty area.
All of this might change if Isak ever regains complete fitness and returns to his Newcastle form. This could potentially happen in conjunction with Ekitike. Their combined starts have taken place in a conventional 4-4-2 setup in Frankfurt and with a diamond midfield in Milan.
With Cody Gakpo and Salah unavailable for the upcoming weeks and a shortage of wingers, there are strong reasons to experiment with such a formation again.
Isak and Ekitike could play up front together over the next few weeks (Action Images via Reuters)
Ekitike’s background includes a successful strike partnership with Omar Marmoush in Germany. Yet, against both Leeds and Brighton, he thrived as a solitary striker. He logged 160 minutes in those matches while still compiling 12 shots.
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If Salah’s move to the bench signifies that Slot has had to reconsider his attacking strategies this season, Ekitike is making a compelling case for yet another reevaluation.
Isak’s hefty price tag has afforded him favored treatment, even as Ekitike’s displays have far outshone his. Yet with each goal, there is growing proof that this supposedly luxury alternative should take precedence in leading the attack.
