Gary Lineker and Micah Richards agree that Hugo Ekitike should start over Alexander Isak at striker for Liverpool, following the Sweden international’s goalless start to the Premier League season.
The Sweden international was handed another appearance in Arne Slot’s first XI for Liverpool’s 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United on Sunday but struggled to make an impact, managing just two shots on goal.
After missing a big chance when played in by Ibrahima Konate in the first half, Isak was barely involved in the contest, aside from dropping deeper on several occasions to try and link up play.
Since his club-record £125m move from Newcastle in September, the 25-year-old has scored just once for the Reds, in their 2-1 EFL Cup third-round win over Southampton.
Both Lineker and Richards agreed that Slot should consider a change in his starting line-up given current form, tipping Ekitike as the clear choice to start ahead of the struggling Swede.
Lineker and Richards Agree on Alexander Isak
Liverpool's Alexander Isak
Speaking on The Rest is Football, Lineker argued that Ekitike should start ahead of Isak at number nine for Liverpool:
“But I'll ask one question. At the moment, if you’re picking your nine, you go Ekitike care ahead of Isak?”
To which Richards responded:
“Without doubt, you've just answered the question yourself. If you say you’d give Isak a little bit more time, where does he get his minutes from?
“Okay, on international [duty] maybe, but Ekitike, he's the better nine at the moment. It's as simple as that. He's fitter. He's sharper.”
Ekitike, a £69m summer arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt, enjoyed a brilliant start to life at Liverpool, scoring in each of his first three games for the Reds.
Since then, however, the 23-year-old Frenchman has managed just two goals in his next eight appearances, scoring in the 2-1 win over Everton and the aforementioned win over Southampton, where he received a second yellow card for taking off his shirt during a goal celebration.
Ekitike was brought off the bench in the second half of Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Man United on Sunday and managed two shots on goal, none on target.
He has started just once for Liverpool in their last five games in all competitions, during their 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray in the Champions League earlier this month.