Arne Slott has explained what Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike “needs” to improve his game ahead of Sunday’s match against Man City.
Ekitike joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69m in the summer and has so far proven to be the only player of the £420m summer transfer who was able to get off to a good start at Anfield.
He has six goals and one assist in 15 appearances for the Reds so far, often showing off his clean footwork in tight spaces up top and occasionally showing off some decent finishing.
After considerable transfer turmoil, it was suggested that Ekitike could struggle to get game time, having been signed in the same summer as Alexander Isak, who arrived from Newcastle for £125m on deadline day.
However, a combination of form, fitness and injury has meant the 23-year-old has played a key role so far, with Isak set to start in Liverpool’s crucial game against Manchester City on Sunday, as he has just returned to training. Apparently he’s back for “preseason” again.
And ahead of the game at the Etihad, Slott praised Ekitike’s “good touch for a big man”, but also hinted at his relatively low duel success rate.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the Dutchman said:
“That’s what makes him special. If he’s taller, he has to be stronger in duels.”
According to Photomob, Ekitike has won only 36.7 percent of his duels and 37.9 percent of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season.
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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is baffled by his former club’s signings of both Ekitike and Isak this summer, claiming he is “daunted” by how Slott will keep them both happy going forward.
Carragher told Sky Sports: “I fully understood that it was not going to be easy and I was always concerned about buying two strikers who play in the same position for that amount of money.
“It’s very difficult to see a Liverpool team put two strikers on the pitch. It’s not easy to do that. So even if Ekitike is doing well, it’s understandable that they want to bring Isaac into the team, because he’s a great player, he has to be fit and they’re paying him a lot of money.”
“It’s confusing how this is going to play out, but so far Ekitike is in the kit and playing very well. If he leaves the team to train more and get more fit, it will probably be a little bit better for Isak.”
