After a fabulous Newcastle display, Hugo Ekitike is in the spotlight yet again and former Liverpool goalkeeper David James is quite impressed.
Ekitike’s quick brace was decisive in Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday night.
It’s now 15 goals for the in-form Frenchman, who is making his case for Liverpool’s best forward signing in years.
mail iconJoin our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
How many goals will Hugo Ekitike end up with this season?
He's surely heading past 20
Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring for Liverpool in the Premier League against Newcastle United at Anfield (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
He has every type of finish in his locker, and according to James, is a goalkeeper’s worst nightmare.
David James on the difficulty with Hugo Ekitike as a keeper
James has nearly 600 Premier League appearances to his name, including 214 for the Reds.
He has come up against some of the very best strikers, and he knows the challenge of dealing with an unpredictable finisher like Ekitike.
After the Newcastle win, James was pitchside for a Liverpool FC post-match show, where he was lenient about Nick Pope being beaten in that fashion for Ekitike’s second.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
He remarked: “From a goalkeeping perspective, you need strikers in your team who shoot that way for you to be practiced. Nick Pope wasn’t expecting that shot. I can tell you now. You can tell by the way that he tried to save it. He wasn’t expecting that shot.
Hugo Ekitike gestures towards the Liverpool crowd after scoring during the Premier League match against Newcastle at Anfield.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
“And that’s where I’m giving Thiaw a little bit of leeway because he probably thought, well, he’s going to hit it with his left and Nick’s in the position to block it, but instead outside the right foot. It’s a fantastic finish.”
It’s that unpredictability that causes opposition players so much trouble. In just six months, we have already seen a catalog of goals from Ekitike that shows he has every type of finish in his arsenal.
And it’s not just his shooting that’s unpredictable. He can carry the ball virtually anywhere he wants, and his passing and play in tight spaces are of an elite level.
Truly a complete modern attacker.
Hugo Ekitike as a left-winger
One of the things that drew Liverpool’s recruitment team to Ekitike is his ability to play out wide as well.
The form he has shown as the out-and-out number nine has been so staggering that this might not even be a consideration anymore.
But we have to remember that Alexander Isak is watching Ekitike from the sidelines, and the British transfer record signing will be gunning for a starting berth when he returns from injury.
Rank Alexander Isak against these past and present Liverpool strikers!
Alexander Isak during Leeds United v Liverpool - Premier League
Credit: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say
As it stands, Ekitike has done far more in a Liverpool shirt and has therefore earned his spot in the side.
But his fluid play often sees him drift wide to the left, not dissimilar to how Isak has been used at Newcastle.
Regardless of how well the Frenchman is playing, it’s surely best to do some tweaking to get both in later in the season and extract the very maximum out of this squad.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox