For much of the first half of the Premier League clash, Liverpool struggled to find momentum. Newcastle dominated large spells and deservedly opened the scoring through Anthony Gordon. Yet in the space of just three minutes, the game swung in Liverpool’s favour.
Ekitike’s equaliser was outstanding. Florian Wirtz weaved past several Newcastle defenders before supplying a pass for Ekitike to finish clinically. Just two minutes later, the French striker produced another moment of quality that prompted comparisons with one of the greatest forwards in Liverpool’s history.
There was still plenty for Ekitike to do when Milos Kerkez picked out his run. He was closely marked by Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw and faced a tight angle. Instead of attempting to outmaneuver Thiaw, Ekitike showed sharp instincts by striking early, preventing goalkeeper Nick Pope from setting himself properly and ultimately sealing victory for Arne Slot’s team. It marked his 15th goal since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth up to £79 million.
The strike was quickly likened to a classic Fernando Torres finish. It resembled the Spaniard’s famous debut goal against Chelsea in 2007, with Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard among those drawing the comparison.
“It’s very Torres-like. He gets the ball out of his feet and uses that toe poke,” Gerrard said on TNT Sports. “Every time I watch him, he reminds me of Torres. He scores similar goals — if you give him space in the channel, he’ll run into it, he’s too quick to stop and he’s lethal.”
Yet Torres was not the player that came to mind for Liverpool manager Slot when he saw Ekitike’s decisive finish. Instead, the Reds boss felt it echoed the style of Brazilian legend Romario. Speaking to beIN Sports, Slot explained: “The first goal was beautiful because it came from a great combination between Florian Wirtz and Hugo. The second one came after we took a goal kick very quickly.
“You can see how much speed Hugo has in a one-on-one situation. When there is space, he can really use that pace. The finish reminded me of a different era — Romario, who played for PSV and Barcelona. Hugo probably doesn’t even know him, but it was a wonderful finish. In the second half, we played the way we wanted and created more than enough chances to score.”
Slot was not alone in seeing shades of Romario in Ekitike’s goal. Former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker shared a similar view on *The Rest Is Football* podcast: “The brilliance of Ekitike and Wirtz was clear. Especially Ekitike — and it hurts even more because Newcastle tried to sign him in the summer.
“But he chose Liverpool, which is understandable. He made the difference. That second goal was world-class, a proper old-fashioned toe poke when he came down the left and finished with his right foot. Very Romario-like — he loved a toe poke. What a goal.”
