Hugo Ekitike compared to Liverpool legend by former star | OneFootball

Hugo Ekitike really finding momentum at Liverpool

Liverpool have endured a season that has rarely flowed as smoothly as their supporters might expect, even under a head coach who delivered the Premier League title in his first year. Questions have lingered around consistency and control, but in the middle of that uncertainty, Ekitike has quietly become a reference point for optimism.

Since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, the French forward has looked increasingly comfortable leading the line. Fifteen goals in all competitions underline that progress, but the numbers only tell part of the story. His growing understanding with Florian Wirtz has sharpened Liverpool’s attacking patterns, offering depth runs and transitional threat that had been missing for spells earlier in the campaign.

That was on clear display in the 4-1 win over Newcastle United, when Ekitike struck twice in the first half. Those goals did not merely put Liverpool in control of the match, they illustrated a striker learning how to dominate defenders with timing, movement and composure.

Crouch perspective from experience

When Peter Crouch speaks about centre forwards, it comes from lived experience. On his podcast, he reflected on Ekitike’s second goal against Newcastle, and the memory it triggered was a powerful one.

He said: “Do you know what Ekitike’s second goal reminded me of? When he burst past him?

“Reminded me of peak Torres at Anfield. You know, like where he slows people down and then bursts like, he kind of slowed him.

“I remember him doing one to Rio [Ferdinand], a couple of times actually, where he slowed him down and then bang gone with the pace and then outside the right foot, reminded me of him.”

It was not flattery for the sake of it. Crouch focused on a specific striker’s skill, the ability to manipulate a defender’s balance before accelerating into space, a trait that separates good forwards from elite ones.

Torres memory that still resonates

For Liverpool fans of a certain era, the image of Fernando Torres tormenting Manchester United’s defence remains vivid. His duels with Rio Ferdinand were a showcase of pace married to intelligence. Torres did not simply outrun defenders, he lulled them into false security before striking.

That is the parallel being drawn here. Ekitike’s goal against Newcastle showed patience, deception and a sudden change of speed, qualities that defined Torres at his peak. During his Liverpool career, Torres scored three times in six matches against Manchester United, moments that helped shape his legend on Merseyside.

Slot trust and Liverpool direction

Under Arne Slot, Liverpool have asked their forwards to be flexible and brave, especially in transition. Ekitike fits that brief. His development suggests a striker growing into responsibility rather than shrinking under expectation.

Comparisons should always be handled carefully, yet they often reveal more about potential than pressure. If Ekitike continues on this trajectory, Liverpool may have found not just a goalscorer, but a forward capable of defining big moments, the kind that linger long after the final whistle.