Liverpool faced a challenging match at Anfield as Newcastle United took an early lead. Anthony Gordon, the Newcastle forward, silenced the home crowd by scoring in the 36th minute, leaving Liverpool facing the prospect of losing a top-flight fixture against Newcastle at home for the first time since 1994, and extending their Premier League winless run to six games.

However, the tide of the game swiftly turned thanks to Hugo Ekitike. The French forward, displaying his remarkable prowess, first leveled the score with a clinical poacher's finish. Not content with just one, Ekitike then quickly followed up with a second goal before half-time, securing a crucial lead for Liverpool and delighting manager Arne Slot.

Following Liverpool's decisive 4-1 victory, manager Arne Slot lauded Ekitike's performance, stating, "The fans love him. From the start, everyone could see how special he is, how fast he is." These sentiments echoed the observations made by Newcastle's scouting team, who had reportedly attempted to sign the 23-year-old Ekitike on three separate occasions, including in the previous summer, clearly recognizing his talent.

Even Newcastle's head coach, Eddie Howe, couldn't help but acknowledge Ekitike's impact. Howe remarked, "Sometimes you have to acknowledge the player against you while also acknowledging we could have defended better. Ekitike is an outstanding player and you saw that today. He's got a little bit of everything and that's his biggest strength. He's tall, quick and he can finish." Ekitike's decisive goals underscored his value and transformed a potentially grim outcome for Liverpool into a triumphant win.