Bad omen?! Hugo Ekitike follows in footsteps of former Liverpool flop Darwin Nunez as new striker stars on Premier League debut

The French forward struck the opening goal against Bournemouth, settling any early nerves for Arne Slot’s new-look side. His precise finish lifted the crowd, but Ekitike wasn’t done. In the second half, he slid a pass into the path of Cody Gakpo, who did the rest with a composed strike into the bottom corner.

By registering both a goal and an assist on his first league outing, Ekitike joined a very exclusive club. The only other Red to achieve the feat was Darwin Nunez, who managed it against Fulham back in 2022. However, the Uruguayan failed to live up to his billing and was sold to Al-Hilal this summer.

But while the Kop chanted Ekitike’s name, the Frenchman insisted he was only just getting started in England. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, he said: "I think it was a good performance. I could do better. But the most important thing tonight is the win and the mentality we showed. We wanted to win for the people who came tonight and for Diogo and that's what we did, so I'm happy for everybody. I have so many things to do better. I helped the team as much as I could. I can do a lot of things. I think I will get better and do even more for this team."

While Ekitike grabbed the headlines, the match itself wasn’t straightforward for Slot’s men. Bournemouth pushed Liverpool to the wire, thanks to a brace from Antoine Semenyo, and it took late strikes from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah to ensure three points on opening day.

Liverpool now turn their focus to an away clash against Newcastle on August 25, and St. James’ Park will provide another brutal test of Ekitike’s readiness for the Premier League grind.