Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool head to north London this weekend with momentum and expectation. Trips to Tottenham always bring noise, goals and pressure. This fixture rarely stays quiet for long. It has a habit of turning into a shootout, and Liverpool have often played their part.
For Hugo Ekitike, this is another chance to stay hot. The forward arrives in strong form and with growing confidence. He has looked sharp, direct and decisive in recent outings. Goals have followed, and so has attention. Big games accelerate reputations, and Tottenham away is one of those tests.
Liverpool’s recent history against Spurs also adds weight. The Reds have enjoyed success, especially in front of goal. The match-up suits attacking players. There is space, tempo and very little margin for error. That creates opportunity, but it also demands composure.
Ekitike’s job is simple. Lead the line. Take chances. Stay involved. He does not need the wider context to perform, but it is there all the same. Liverpool know what this game usually becomes, and they know what it demands from a striker.
Now to the numbers, and why this game matters. Ekitike goes into the match having scored four goals in his last two Premier League games. He hit braces against Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion. That run puts him on the edge of rare Liverpool history.
Only one Liverpool player has ever scored multiple goals in three consecutive Premier League matches. That was Luis Suarez in December 2013, when he did it in four straight games. Ekitike could become the second if he delivers again on Saturday.
Liverpool and Tottenham have met 66 times in the Premier League. Liverpool have won 34 of those games. The Reds have also scored 52 away league goals against Spurs. Only West Ham and Newcastle have conceded more to Liverpool on home soil.
This fixture is the highest-scoring in Premier League history, with 206 goals. Liverpool have scored in 25 of their last 26 league games against Tottenham. The last 19 meetings have all seen Liverpool on the scoresheet.
Liverpool won both league meetings last season by 6-3 and 5-1. They have lost just once in six league visits to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Only Billy Liddell and Roger Hunt have scored hat-tricks away to Spurs for Liverpool.
Ekitike now steps into that timeline. The chance is clear. So is the standard.
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