Form Over Fee: Ekitike is Proving He Can Lead Liverpool’s Revival

There are moments in a season that crystallise a wider truth, and Hugo Ekitike’s brace against Brighton last weekend did exactly that for Liverpool.

In a 2–0 win at Anfield that nudged the champions back towards the European places, it was the Frenchman – not the club’s British-record signing – who delivered the clarity Liverpool have so often lacked this season.

Ekitike scored inside the opening minute and added a second after the break, showing composure, movement and conviction that have become familiar themes rather than fleeting highlights.

The first goal, finished after just 46 seconds, was Liverpool’s fastest league strike of the campaign and set the tone. The second, a powerful header from Mohamed Salah’s cross, underlined Ekitike’s growing authority as a central striker.

Those goals took him to seven in the Premier League by mid-December, placing him among the division’s most productive forwards from open play and reinforcing his status as Liverpool’s most reliable option up top.

What makes Ekitike’s rise so compelling is the context. Liverpool’s season has been uneven, marked by tactical uncertainty and attacking inefficiency.

Salah’s return against Brighton was welcome, but it was Ekitike who carried the threat, registering a league-high seven shots and repeatedly stretching Brighton’s back line with his pressing and movement. He looks increasingly attuned to Arne Slot’s demands, offering intensity without sacrificing sharpness in front of goal.

That contrast has only sharpened scrutiny on Alexander Isak. Signed for a British-record fee in the summer, Isak’s struggles have become harder to ignore. His recent performances have been characterised by low shot involvement, limited touches in dangerous areas and a lack of impact in decisive moments.

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While patience is often urged for big-money signings, football rarely waits for reputations to catch up with reality. Right now, Ekitike is offering what Isak is not: goals, confidence and momentum.

There is an uncomfortable truth here for Liverpool. The transfer fee attached to Isak was meant to buy certainty; instead, it has bought expectation. Ekitike, by contrast, has quietly earned his place through output. He is Liverpool’s top scorer this season and, beyond the numbers, brings an energy and directness that lifts those around him. The attack looks more coherent when he leads it.

This is not an argument that Isak cannot succeed at Liverpool, but it is a reminder that form must trump fee. As the fixture list tightens and the margin for error shrinks while the Reds try to recover their faltering title defence, Slot cannot afford sentimentality.

If Liverpool’s revival is to gather pace, it will be driven by players producing now. On current evidence, the striker fitting that bill is Ekitike – not because he was the most expensive, but because he is the most effective.

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