VIDEO: Liverpool lean into Hugo Ekitike comparisons with legendary striker Fernando Torres after eerily familiar goal against Newcastle

The Reds produced a dominant display to dispatch Newcastle at Anfield, with Ekitike netting a clinical brace to take his tally to 15 for the season in all competitions. However, it was his second goal that had the Kop murmuring in recognition.

Racing onto a through ball in the inside-left channel, Ekitike utilised his blistering pace to leave the Newcastle defence trailing before calmly slotting the ball past the goalkeeper with an impudent toe-poke finish. The goal was practically a frame-by-frame recreation of Fernando Torres’ first-ever Liverpool goal against Chelsea in 2007, a strike that announced ‘El Nino’ to the Premier League.

The similarities were not lost on the club’s media team. In the aftermath of the victory, Liverpool’s official social media account fanned the flames of the comparison, posting a side-by-side video of the two goals. The clip highlights the identical nature of the runs, the body shape, and that trademark finish that defined Torres’ explosive debut season at the club.

"We thought that one looked familiar," the club's caption read.

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Watching from the TNT Sports studio was a man who knew exactly what it was like to provide the ammunition for Torres. Steven Gerrard, whose telepathic partnership with the Spaniard produced some of Liverpool’s most devastating attacking football, was effusive in his praise for the 23-year-old.

"It's Torres-like. He just gets it out of his feet and it's that toe poke. He reminds me of Torres, this player, every time I watch him," Gerrard said during the post-match analysis.

"He's scoring similar types of goals, where if you give him space in the channel, he'll run it, he's too quick, you can't catch him and he's deadly. There are a lot of similarities, pace, power, you can score, you can assist."

For Ekitike, who arrived with a hefty price tag and significant pressure, such an endorsement from arguably the club’s greatest-ever player will serve as a massive confidence booster as Arne Slot’s side look to cement their place in the top four.

Despite the lofty comparisons, Ekitike was quick to play down the hype when Gerrard’s comments were put to him. In a charmingly honest interview, the striker revealed that his knowledge of Torres’ prime years came not from live TV, but from the internet, citing a thrifty household budget during his childhood in France.

"Back in the day, I couldn’t watch the Premier League to be honest, my mum didn't pay so I couldn't see! I have watched some clips of YouTube," Ekitike admitted with a smile.

"I will never put myself on that bracket. He was an incredible player. If I reach his level it would be great. I have to keep working."

While the young forward is keen to write his own history at Anfield, if he continues to replicate the form of Torres, the Kop will be more than happy to keep making the comparison.