Arne Slot praises Hugo Ekitike for ‘working really hard’ to succeed as Liverpool are forced to rely on French striker without Alexander Isak

Ekitike has adapted well to life in the Premier League following his big-money move for an initial £69million ($93m/€80m). The 23-year-old might have found the step up from Eintracht Frankfurt a big one but has shone in comparison with many of Liverpool’s summer arrivals.

His record of eight league goals and 11 in all competitions puts him amongst the top scorers in the Premier League, trailing just Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago, while five strikes in his last three appearances has seen the six-cap France international take his game to a new level. With Isak now expected to be out for an extended period of time with a broken leg, Ekitike has begun to step up at exactly the right moment.

This has not gone missing on head coach Slot, who praised Ekitike’s attitude and work ethic off the pitch, as he has continued to work hard on both the defensive and attacking aspects of his game in order to help the team.

Slot said: "He’s shown a lot of hard work to get to this fitness level where he is at the moment. It sometimes took us a bit of convincing [him] that this all is actually really needed to become stronger but he always did it.

"Not always with a smile on his face but he’s worked really hard to get fitter and fitter on and off the pitch. I’ve tried to convince him as well that the better you defend a set-piece, the bigger chance you have to score a goal at the other end.

"If it’s 0-0, it’s easier to score a goal than when you’re 1-0 down. This might sound strange but what it does for the energy levels of the other team is a difference. For him to score goals, it’s also important that we hardly concede from set-pieces.

"He’s worked really hard to get where he is now and I think he’s ready to go into the programme we are facing now but he’s not the only No.9 I have. Federico Chiesa can also play in that position so I have the chance to take him off if he’s completely tired."

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Following a highly challenging autumn for his side, Slot has seen Liverpool return to the Premier League’s top five with a six-match unbeaten run in all competitions, most recently winning 2-1 away at Tottenham Hotspur thanks to an Ekitike winner. The Dutchman expanded on what has led to the change in fortunes for the Reds.

"The main thing that has changed, apart from the second half at Brighton, is that we haven’t conceded as many chances as we did in the run we had before. I also think we’ve been a bit more lucky than in the games before," Slot continued.

"We played games where we were so much better than the other team, in terms of everything. The main thing people always look at is chance creation against chances you’ve conceded. In the last game against Spurs, I don’t think we had many more chances than them and against Brighton, it was equal as well. But we won those two games.

"Many times, we’ve been so unlucky with the result. In the last two games, I wouldn't say we don’t deserve it but it was more equal than many other games we’ve played and lost. That’s the nice part of football that the performance doesn’t always give you the result."

Liverpool host Premier League bottom club Wolves on Saturday and will hope to continue their strong run of form following the Christmas festivities.

Ekitike will hope to be at the centre of it if the Reds continue their push up the table in the coming weeks, amidst the absence of Isak, the also injured Cody Gakpo and AFCON-competing Mohamed Salah.