If you mix Ronaldo Luís Nazário with Karim Benzema and Thierry Henry, you get the recipe to create Ekitike. The French striker—the palindrome of the French language—was the hero for Liverpool against Newcastle.
Liverpool started the match in the worst possible way. Caught out by the aggression of confident Magpies fresh off a strong draw at the Parc des Princes, they conceded the opening goal to Anthony Gordon. Deployed as a center forward, Gordon showed great awareness and finally scored in the Premier League. But then, the Wirtz–Ekitike duo came to life. Fed by the German, the French “R9” finished the equalizer with a toe poke, while the second goal was pure individual brilliance.
In the second half, Liverpool took full control and Wirtz added his goal. The German is in much better form than earlier in the season and is gradually confirming the huge expectations surrounding his immense talent. Finally, Konaté also found the net on his return, after the tragic circumstances that had forced him to miss time.