Alexander Isak has benefited from the injury-enforced absence of Hugo Ekitike at Liverpool, with Jermaine Pennant explaining to GOAL what Andoni Iraola is likely to do when both big-money forwards are fit and firing. Questions have been asked of Isak’s contribution to the collective cause, with a £125 million ($169m) price tag hanging around his neck, but the Swedish striker is too good to be “sitting on your bench”.
Alexander Isak has become a “huge problem” for Liverpool, former Reds star Stephen Warnock has told GOAL, with the £125 million ($169m) striker “not at the races” and looking disinterested. The most expensive player in British football has failed to make the desired impact at Anfield, with it being suggested that he is struggling to handle the “weight” of an iconic shirt.
Bradley Barcola has completed his move to Liverpool, uniting with Hugo Ekitike after receiving regular text messages from his international team-mate. However, the duo will have to wait to play together as Ekitike continues his lengthy recovery from an Achilles injury.
The 2026 World Cup is almost here. After years of build-up, dramatic qualifiers and numerous good - and bad - news stories surrounding FIFA's flagship finals, players and coaches from around the world are completing their last preparations after descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for the biggest international football tournament to ever have been staged.
And there you have it - the 2025-26 Premier League season is over. Arsenal are the champions while West Ham have been relegated alongside Wolves and Burnley as Tottenham secured survival on the final day. While the football hasn't always been the most scintillating, it's been a campaign full of twists and turns at both ends of the table, making it difficult to predict any result given the increased parity among the teams in the English top-flight.
As the 2025-26 Premier League season draws to a close, it's time to look back on what has been a campaign full of twists and turns. Arsenal eventually saw off the challenge of Manchester City to secure the title, but European places and the final berth in the relegation zone are still to be decided into the final day.
Hugo Ekitike has sparked laughter online by sharing a surreal AI-generated video of himself tossing away his crutches to score a goal and perform a front flip against Manchester City. However, Liverpool boss Arne Slot has swiftly brought the mood back to reality, confirming the forward's recovery from Achilles surgery will be a "long process" that rules him out for the foreseeable future.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has confirmed that Hugo Ekitike has undergone successful surgery after suffering a devastating Achilles tendon injury against Paris Saint-Germain. The French forward now faces a significant period on the sidelines, with the injury officially ruling him out of the 2026 World Cup and much of next season.
Liverpool have lost Hugo Ekitike to injury, Mohamed Salah is preparing to depart and Alexander Isak has endured fitness issues, but Michael Owen has explained to GOAL why Robert Lewandowski should not be a short-term fix at Anfield. The prolific Polish striker is preparing to sever ties with Barcelona as a free agent, and has never graced the Premier League, but the Reds are considered to have more pressing issues to address.
Arne Slot declared that the "future was bright" for Liverpool after Tuesday's Champions League elimination but there was no lifting the doom and gloom around Anfield. The hosts hadn't just lost yet another game to Paris Saint-Germain - they'd also lost Hugo Ekitike to injury. Indeed, what little hope Liverpool had of overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit effectively ended the moment their only fit and in-form forward hit the deck with nobody near him.
Arne Slot has been urged to consider a sensational move for Barcelona’s veteran striker Robert Lewandowski to address a growing crisis in the Liverpool frontline. Following a devastating long-term injury to Hugo Ekitike, former Reds midfielder Joe Cole believes the 37-year-old Pole could be the perfect candidate to provide vital goalscoring cover.
Liverpool have confirmed the devastating news that Hugo Ekitike faces nine months on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain. The injury not only ends his club season prematurely but also cruelly rules the forward out of France’s upcoming World Cup campaign.
France national team head coach Didier Deschamps has sent a powerful message to Hugo Ekitike following the announcement of his serious injury. The Liverpool forward, who was enjoying a stellar season in the Premier League, has seen his 2026 World Cup dreams shattered after going down in the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted that the injury suffered by Hugo Ekitike during the Reds' Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain is a significant cause for concern. The French forward's night ended in agony as he was forced off the pitch, casting a dark cloud over an evening that also saw Alexander Isak return to the starting XI for the first time in months.
Paris Saint-Germain knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League for the second consecutive season at Anfield on Tuesday evening. Unsurprisingly, Ousmane Dembele proved decisive once again. Just over a year after scoring the only goal of the second leg of the two teams' last-16 tie, which eventually led to PSG progressing on penalties, the winger returned to Merseyside to score twice in a 2-0 win that earned the defending champions a comprehensive 4-0 win on aggregate.
