Galatasaray v Liverpool: Hugo Ekitike 'ready' to play alongside Alexander Isak upfront - but will Slot use two strikers?
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has hinted that he and Alexander Isak could form a deadly partnership upfront.
Ekitike says he’s eager to learn from teammate Isak and confident the pair can play side-by-side under head coach Arne Slot.
Ekitike joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in July and has started brightly with four goals in seven appearances. Isak, meanwhile, arrived on deadline day from Newcastle United in a British-record transfer.
Their overlapping roles have sparked debate over how Slot will use them, but Ekitike insists that’s normal at a club of Liverpool’s level.
“We play at such a big club,” the France international said. “They cannot have only one striker, so it is good he is here. I still have a lot of things to improve and learn. That is for the coach to decide who plays, it’s not up to me.
“I played with two strikers before and one striker, so I can do a lot of things. If we have to play together, I can do that.”
It has been a long time since the Premier League has seen a blossoming strike partnership upfront - typically, you now see a sole striker form a close partnership with either a winger or attacking midfielder.
Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min at Tottenham Hotspur is perhaps the most recent example, but we have seen some truly iconic pairings in the past, like Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov at Manchester United, or Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp at Arsenal.
The 23-year-old’s progress at Anfield hit a bump last week when he was sent off in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton, forcing him to miss Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
“It wasn’t smart,” Ekitike said. “I felt disappointed to watch the boys from home, but I apologised to everyone already. That kind of thing won’t happen again. I move on and focus on football.”
Liverpool face Galatasaray away in the Champions League tonight (Tuesday, September 30), but will be without Federico Chiesa after the Italian forward picked up a knock at Selhurst Park.