Liverpool kicked off the new Premier League season with a win against Bournemouth on the opening day.
It was an emotional evening for everyone involved at the club. A beautiful tribute was paid to Diogo Jota before, during and after the fixture, and we’re sure he would’ve loved how the game unfolded.
Hugo Ekitike scored his first goal in the Premier League to give Liverpool the lead, and Cody Gakpo doubled it early in the second half. The Reds were cruising at that point, but Antoine Semenyo scored twice to level the game.
Just when it seemed like Liverpool might drop points, Federico Chiesa stepped up to score what proved to be the winner, and Mohamed Salah added a cherry on top to seal a 4-2 win.
Ryan Gravenberch hails Hugo Ekitike after Liverpool beat Bournemouth
A lot of the talk around Liverpool in recent weeks has been about Alexander Isak.
It is no secret that the Premier League champions are keen to sign the Swede this summer, and they are expected to make another move before the window shuts.
Signing Isak would definitely be exciting, but Liverpool fans should already be excited about Ekitike’s performances so far.
TBR Football exclusively revealed that Liverpool players and coaches were amazed by Ekitike in training after he joined, and his performances on the pitch now explain why.
After a lovely goal in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace, Ekitike found the net again when Bournemouth came to town on Friday night.
The Frenchman took to Instagram to celebrate his goal and the win. “What a feeling,” he wrote in his post.
Ryan Gravenberch, who missed the game due to suspension, replied: “Qualityyyy!”
Even Ekitike’s old club, Eintracht Frankfurt, sent him a message. “Congrats on your first Premier League goal,” they wrote under his post.
Arne Slot would’ve understood one thing about Hugo Ekitike at Liverpool
There were a few doubts about Ekitike when Liverpool splashed big money to sign him.
Yes, the Frenchman had a brilliant season in Germany, but the fact that he was sold by Paris Saint-Germain raised eyebrows.
However, Ekitike, who was compared to Luis Suarez by Gary Neville on Friday night, is showing that he is the real deal at Anfield.
Yes, Liverpool will become even stronger if they land Isak, but Arne Slot would’ve learnt now that even if they don’t get the Swede, they are in a good place with Ekitike leading the line.
It will be interesting to see how Slot will use Ekitike if Isak ends up joining in the next two weeks.