'I'm not that happy' - Hugo Ekitike not content with goal tally at Liverpool despite netting 16 times in his debut season

The 23-year-old, who arrived on Merseyside in a massive £79 million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, opened the scoring against the Hammers before turning creator for team-mates Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. Despite picking up the Player of the Match award, Ekitike was in a reflective mood after the final whistle. "To be honest, I could score more. I’m not that happy! But it’s not only about goals, it’s assists as well – today I think I gave one or two assists. As long as I can help the team and be involved, that’s the most important. I want to win so, personally, I’m happy. I’m looking forward to the upcoming games," he told the club's official website.

The former Paris Saint-Germain man has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at Anfield, but his latest comments suggest a player with a relentless drive for perfection. Prior to the demolition of West Ham, Ekitike had actually gone through a frustrating four-game run without finding the net, a drought that clearly sat heavy on the young striker's shoulders. Even with 16 goals in 37 appearances during his debut campaign, he refuses to rest on his laurels as Arne Slot's side pushes for a strong finish in domestic and European competition.

"Obviously I can improve, I could score also in the last games, I had good chances. So I have to keep working. I want to be the best version of myself to help the team more, because I know I could help more. But it’s always about lessons and getting better. I’ll try in the upcoming games to be even better, score more and be involved more," Ekitike added, outlining his personal goals for the remainder of the season.

The win over West Ham was not without its moments of tension. Despite a dominant first half that saw the Reds lead 3-0, a resurgent Hammers side threatened a comeback early in the second period through Tomas Soucek. Slot himself noted that he could feel the "nervousness" inside the stadium when the visitors began to find space. However, Ekitike and his fellow attackers ensured the points stayed at Anfield with a ruthless display of finishing that eased the concerns of the home support.

Reflecting on the ebb and flow of the match, Ekitike noted: "Yeah, I think that was a good win, a good job from the team. Really happy with this win. We have to keep going because it’s going to be a long way until the end of the league. But really happy, I think that was really important today." He added on the early lead: "When you go through those kinds of games and score early, it helps. It helps the team and the fans also. You feel more confident. And obviously going into half-time at 3-0 is nice. But they showed that it means nothing because they could come back into the game."

One major positive for Liverpool in recent weeks has been their proficiency from dead-ball situations. The Reds have transformed a previous weakness into a potent weapon, with Ekitike highlighting the collective effort to improve this facet of their play. 

"Obviously we had some problems at the start of the season. We have been talking all together, working on the pitch at set-pieces. It’s good that today it worked. I think we deserved it because we put a lot of energy in this, so that’s nice," the Frenchman explained. "Every game is difficult, full of great teams, great players. They leave nothing until the end of the game. So, every game we play is always difficult, it’s never an easy game. But we showed that we can win games and we have to keep going."