Ekitike has found his feet at Anfield, with back-to-back braces in the Premier League extending his lead at the top of this season’s goalscoring chart.
The Frenchman has scored twice as many goals as Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Agatwith no other Liverpool player netting than five.
But Slot is impressed with the way he has adjusted to the demands of a No. 9 in his system when it comes to his off-ball work and the intensity of the Premier League.
Slot on Ekitike: The “intensity” report
• The “twice as much” stat:Arne Slot revealed thatHugo Ekitikeis now covering double the ground in matches compared to his first month at the club.
• Dealing with cramp:Slot explained that while Ekitike struggled to walk after the Brighton game, he views the fatigue as a natural result of the player finally hitting the physical levels required.
• Beyond the goals:Why the Liverpool head coach is “ and excited” by the striker’s defensive work rate and tactical discipline, rather than just his scoring record.
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“No he didn’t, because we knew what type of player we signed,” he told reporters on Friday, when asked if Ekitike had surpassed his expectations.
“He had to go off I think in the Brighton game after 70 minutes because he had cramp, but he did double the amount of work that he did three months ago when I also had to take him off with cramp.
“But his ability to score, his technique, his speed, all these things, that’s just what he has. No one is surprised to see that.
“He improved a lot in terms of how much he runs during a game, how hard he works and that’s a big help for the team as well.
“People are only focused on goals, but he helps us out now defensively as well and that is also very important for a No. 9.”
Arne Slot reveals detail of Hugo Ekitike talks
“In the talks I’ve had with him I probably spoke about what I expect from him defensively than offensively, because offensively he can (already do it),” the head coach continued.
“Before we signed him he had no problems with that, after we signed him he sometimes felt like ‘can we also talk about offensive already?’.
“But there’s not so much to talk about offence with him, because that part of his game is very good. Defensively I’m and excited to see what he’s doing as well.”
With Alexander Isak frank over his struggle to reach the heights expected of him since joining Liverpool, Ekitike’s adaptation is a relief.
The 23-year-old already looks every bit the Liverpool striker and this is largely down to the way he complements his goals: an all-round centre-forward who can link play and press efficiently, while also firing in the box.
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Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2025-12-20 06:08:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com
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