LIVERPOOL — As Hugo Ekitike pulled at the Liverpool badge on his chest, the television cameras homed in on Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe grimacing on the Anfield touchline. Rarely has a single frame told a more compelling story.

Less than 36 hours earlier, during his prematch news conference, Howe had admitted to trying to sign Ekitike on more than one occasion, with Newcastle’s interest in the Frenchman dating back to January 2022 when he was still a relative unknown at Ligue 1 side Stade de Reims.

“He has got a bit of everything,” Howe explained. “He has great movement, can score with both feet, he’s good in the air and dribbles with the ball really well. He is a big talent.”

On Saturday night, the Newcastle manager got another opportunity to witness that talent firsthand as Ekitike’s brilliant double inspired Liverpool to a 4-1 comeback victory over his team on Merseyside. It was the Reds’ first Premier League triumph of 2026, bringing to an end a five-game winless streak in the top flight and helping to banish Liverpool’s January blues.

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At the centre of it all was Ekitike, who has been nothing short of a revelation since joining the club from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69 million in the summer. The 23-year-old now has 15 goals in all competitions for Arne Slot’s side this term, with only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland having bettered Ekitike’s tally of 19 goal contributions in 2025-26.

For Liverpool, the forward’s latest star turn could hardly have been timelier. Even after the Reds swept aside FK Qarabag to book their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League midweek, the black clouds that have loomed over Anfield for much of the season continued to linger.

Last weekend’s last-gasp defeat to AFC Bournemouth had once again cranked up the pressure on Slot, if not in the eyes of the Liverpool hierarchy than at least among an increasingly vocal section of the club’s fanbase. After months of having his every word and action forensically dissected on social media, Slot will have been delighted to let his team’s football do the talking against Newcastle.

Of course, Liverpool rarely do things the easy away and so it proved again on Saturday as they fell behind early on to a fine strike from former Everton man Anthony Gordon. At that point, it felt like it might be a familiar story for Slot’s side, who before this weekend had only picked up a meagre two points from losing positions in the league this term.

But on this occasion it seemed Liverpool were intent on reshaping the narrative, with Ekitike restoring parity in the 41st minute following some excellent work from the ever-improving Florian Wirtz in the build-up. The duo have now assisted each other six times in all competitions this season — the most by two players aged 23 and younger for Liverpool since Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard in 2002-03 (six).

Perhaps sensing the opportunity to inflict further misery on his long-time admirers, Ekitike quickly struck again to put Liverpool ahead on the stroke of half-time, with his sublime finish drawing comparisons with legendary Reds striker Fernando Torres.

“It is all about Hugo Ekitike running the channel,” former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told TNT Sports at half-time. “It is Torres-like. He gets out of his feet and that toe-poke. He reminds me of Torres every time I watch him.”

While it might seem premature to liken Ekitike to the former Spain international, his pace, elegance and even his newly dyed platinum hair make it impossible not to find similarities between the pair.

“From the start, everyone can see how special he is and fast he is,” Slot said in his postmatch news conference. “We have seen this the second goal he scored. He took a one-versus-one and went on the outside, this is very difficult to beat someone around the outside, usually players go inside and take a shot. I would love to mention the fact that he has not improved that much on the ball because he was special from the start, his biggest improvement is his work-rate off the ball.”

Ekitike could have had a hat trick but for a rush of blood to the head when he nicked the ball off Dan Burn and fired well wide of Nick Pope‘s goal in the second half. However, Liverpool would not be made to pay for the striker’s rare moment of profligacy, with Wirtz and defender Ibrahima Konaté later adding further gloss to the scoreline to secure a priceless three points.

Konate’s inclusion in the team had been in doubt this week, with the Frenchman having been on compassionate leave following the death of his father. He was moved to tears after netting his first league goal at Anfield and, in many ways, his strike served as an embodiment of all that was good about Liverpool on Saturday night.

Far too often this season, Slot’s side have wilted in the face of adversity but against Newcastle they summoned the strength and courage to silence the noise and continue battling. The emotional celebrations as Konate soaked up the applause from the Kop spoke of a team that remains united, even if their form this term has frequently led to accusations of disharmony from the outside.

It is the first time since Liverpool clinched the title against Tottenham Hotspur last April that they have come behind to win a Premier League game. It is a damning statistic, but the result does at least boost the Reds’ hopes of finishing inside the top four this season, even if that balmy spring day against Spurs now feels like a lifetime ago.

Perhaps the enduring image of the night, though, came when Ekitike was substituted late in the match. As the striker trudged wearily past the away end, he turned to the travelling fans and mischievously held up his fingers to reflect the scoreline.

The Newcastle supporters could surely have done without the reminder. For them — and for several other clubs among Europe’s elite — Ekitike might just prove to be the one that got away.