Just when you thought Manchester City were dropping out of this Premier League title race for good, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland pulled them back in, leaving Liverpool shell-shocked and Arsenal nervously checking over their shoulders. City have never enjoyed playing at Anfield, but Sunday's was a performance like no other, with an outcome not seen since all the way back in 2003.
Liverpool threw away victory in the final 10 minutes against Manchester City as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat on Sunday. Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning free-kick put the Reds in front in the second half, but late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland turned the game on its head as the Reds lost ground to Manchester United and Chelsea in the top-four race.
With half-time approaching and Liverpool losing 1-0 to Newcastle United, Anfield was already bracing itself for another disappointing defeat in this most trying of seasons. In the space of 138 seconds, though, Hugo Ekitike changed the entire mood on Merseyside. The Frenchman's first goal - a near-post finish from Florian Wirtz's clever cutback - may have been crucial, but it was his second strike that sent the fans into a frenzy.
After all the drama provided by the Champions League in midweek, domestic action returned over the weekend, and it did not disappoint. Title races and battles to earn European spots are heating up around the continent, with there plenty of twists and turns still to come over the next three-and-a-half months.
Liverpool supporters could be forgiven for thinking they were watching a ghost of Anfield’s past during Saturday’s 4-1 demolition of Newcastle. Hugo Ekitike’s electrifying performance, capped by a goal that was the mirror image of a famous Fernando Torres strike, has sparked a wave of nostalgia on Merseyside. Even club legend Steven Gerrard joined the chorus of praise, admitting the French forward’s "pace and power" remind him of his former Spanish teammate "every time I watch him."
Hugo Ekitike has insisted he will 'have to keep working' if he is to live up to iconic former Liverpool strikers such as Fernando Torres. The Frenchman scored twice in Saturday's 4-1 win at home to Newcastle, prompting club legend Steven Gerrard to compare the forward to one of his former team-mates.
Wirtz and Ekitike stepped up for Arne Slot as the big-money summer signings helped fire Liverpool to a comeback victory against Newcastle. When the Magpies took a deserved lead, the French forward took the game by the scruff of the neck and scored a quickfire brace to flip it on its head. The Reds then pressed home their advantage and ran out worthy 4-1 winners.
Liverpool may be struggling in the Premier League but they're a very different side in the Champions League, as they underlined on Wednesday by storming straight into the last 16 of the competition by hammering Qarabag 6-0 at Anfield. With the Reds' defensive injury crisis having worsened in Saturday's shocking defeat at Bournemouth, the last thing head coach Arne Slot needed was Jeremie Frimpong hobbling off with what looked like his third hamstring injury of the season after just two minutes of play on Merseyside.
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has a very cold, analytical approach to his role - so much so, in fact, that he was once described as "robot" by an agent who had dealt with him. Of course, being devoid of emotion probably wouldn't be such a bad thing for Hughes, given the nature of his job and the potential for being adversely affected by the wildly differing views on the work he's doing at Anfield.
Hugo Ekitike has etched his name into Liverpool history alongside King Kenny Dalglish after a goalscoring return to action. The French forward came off the bench against Barnsley to complete a unique scoring set in his debut season. He has now found the net in five different competitions this term, a feat only achieved once before by the legendary Scot back in the 1977-78 campaign.
Arne Slot has confirmed that Hugo Ekitike faces a late fitness test ahead of Liverpool's showdown with Premier League leaders Arsenal. The forward has yet to train fully since missing the recent draw with Fulham, leaving his participation in doubt. The Reds boss admits his side have been too inconsistent this term but believes a win against the "complete package" of the Gunners could spark a revival.
Liverpool have explained why Hugo Ekitike does not form part of their matchday squad for a Premier League clash with Fulham. The Reds have seen their attacking options further depleted for a trip to Craven Cottage. They are already without Swedish frontman Alexander Isak, with the £125 million ($168m) striker nursing an injury, while Mohamed Salah is on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike admits it is "difficult" to know that he is playing regularly for the Reds because of Alexander Isak's leg fracture. The £125 million ($168m) signing from Newcastle scored against Tottenham but, in doing so, was challenged by Micky van de Ven, and has since been ruled out for a significant period due to a leg fracture that required surgery.
Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven games on New Year's Day but Arne Slot's ragged Reds continued to flatter to deceive in a drab 0-0 draw with Leeds United at Anfield. Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz had looked lively in the opening half hour on Merseyside, with both going close to breaking the deadlock. However, the English champions had run out of ideas by the final quarter of a largely uneventful game and Leeds looked to have nicked all three points through in-form forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin - only for the former Everton striker to be flagged for offside after hooking the ball into the net.
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