You could say Hugo Ekitiké was the one who got away from Newcastle last summer, except there were so many. The Liverpool striker gave Eddie Howe further cause for regret with a gamechanging, match-winning performance at Anfield, however, as Arne Slot’s side found the consistency that has eluded them too often this season to record a second impressive win in succession.
Ekitiké struck twice against the club that had agreed a deal to sign him from Eintracht Frankfurt before Liverpool swept in. Their initial outlay of £69m, rising to £79m, is proving money very well spent. Newcastle were the dominant force before Ekitiké’s swift brace transformed the contest. Florian Wirtz added a third in the second half before Ibrahima Konaté, playing for the first time since the death of his father, capitalised on a Nick Pope error to complete an important victory. Konaté was understandably in tears as the moment sunk in.
Howe’s gameplan could have been written on the Newcastle teamsheet. No Nick Woltemade or Yoane Wissa, who were both on the bench, and instead a forward line designed to punish Liverpool with speed and on the counterattack. The Newcastle manager would have been delighted with the initial results as Anthony Gordon, Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes spearheaded a superior opening from his team, only to look on in disbelief as Ekitiké struck twice in two minutes.
There were no inhibitions from Newcastle on a ground where they last won in 1994 but there was evidence of the needle that has developed between these teams in recent years. And that was without the Alexander Isak sideshow. Liverpool’s record £125m signing from Newcastle sat behind the home bench as he continues his rehabilitation from a leg fracture.
Former Everton player and boyhood Liverpool fan Gordon was central to the heated early exchanges. Sent off when the teams met at St James’ Park in August, the winger barged into Alexis Mac Allister’s chest, leaving the Liverpool midfielder clutching his own throat, then caught Alisson with a dangerously late challenge as the goalkeeper cleared his lines. Eleven minutes gone, and Gordon was in the book.
The danger all came from Newcastle in a football sense too for the best part of 40 minutes. Liverpool struggled to find gaps in the visitors’ compact midfield trio or find space behind their defence. Mohamed Salah was presented with a clear route to goal when Newcastle lost possession while committed to attack and Dominik Szoboszlai pierced their back-line. Salah had a three-yard start on 35-year-old Kieran Trippier but was caught by the veteran full-back by the time he reached the Newcastle penalty area. Time marches on.
The visitors, by contrast, attacked with pace and purpose. Virgil van Dijk had to be at his sharpest to prevent Gordon’s cross reaching an unmarked Barnes in front of the Liverpool goal and did well to block Dan Burn when a Barnes cross sailed just in front of Malick Thiaw and his fellow centre-half. Barnes also curled a free-kick against a post, with Alisson well beaten, after being tripped just outside the box by Ryan Gravenberch.
Newcastle’s merited lead came when Joe Willock surged into space down the left and found Barnes on the edge of the Liverpool area. Mac Allister challenged but inadvertently turned the ball into the path of Gordon, who pinged a low shot through the legs of Milos Kerkez and into Alisson’s right hand corner. It was the England international’s first Premier League goal from open play in 12 months.
Newcastle were in control, their approach was delivering an accomplished away display, and then Ekitiké leapt on to centre stage and single-handedly wrestled the game away from them. The growing rapport between the France international and Wirtz engineered a swift equaliser when, after Gravenberch turned the ball into his path, the Germany international slalomed through the Newcastle defence and squared for Ekitiké to poke home.
Two minutes later the Liverpool striker collected a Kerkez ball in space on the left and set off towards Nick Pope’s goal. For reasons best known to himself, Thiaw made no attempt to close down Ekitiké and invited the in-form forward to shoot for the far post. Ekitiké obliged in style for his 10th league goal of the campaign and Liverpool’s 100th at Anfield under Slot, the century arriving in 46 games.
The shell-shocked visitors continued to threaten after the break and Barnes was denied by a fine Alisson save. But Liverpool were now a far more confident proposition and seized on any lapses or gaps in the Newcastle defence. Ekitiké could have had a hat-trick when capitalising on a slip by Burn but rolled his shot wide of Pope’s far post.
A poor clearance by Thiaw led to Liverpool enjoying the comfort of a two-goal advantage. Wirtz broke clear and found Salah, then held back on the edge of the area for the return pass. It fell perfectly, and Wirtz tucked a clinical finish inside the far corner. Konaté prodded home after Pope dropped a Szoboszlai corner in stoppage time. Newcastle’s Anfield torment continues.
