Tag Archives: Alexander Isak

champions league, football, premier league, sports

Hugo Ekitike reckons Alexander Isak competition will boost him at Liverpool

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Hugo Ekitike believes Alexander Isak’s presence will aid his development as the young striker welcomed the increased competition at Liverpool.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions made waves in the summer transfer window, with the 23-year-old Ekitike following the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez to Anfield. Ekitike joined from Frankfurt in a deal worth £69 million plus a potential £10 million (approximately €11.45 million) in add-ons and has hit the ground running, scoring five goals in eight appearances across all competitions.

But Liverpool maintained a strong interest in Newcastle sharpshooter Isak throughout the summer and secured the striker for a British record £125 million on deadline day.

“I think it’s good to have players in such a big club,” Ekitike said. “I can’t see one big club playing with only one striker, so I think it’s good that he’s here. Even for me at my age, I think I still have a lot of things to improve and learn, so for me it’s good that he’s here.”

He added, “As for if we can play together, that’s for the coach to decide how he wants to play. That’s not me. But obviously, he’s a great player. I’ve been playing in two-striker compositions and one-striker systems, so I can do a lot of things. If we have to play together, I can do that.”

Ekitike certainly appears to be loving life at Liverpool, having joined despite interest from the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle.

“It was just the best choice,” he said. “You know, it’s the champions of England. For me, they have great players, a great history. It just fitted with what I was looking for after Frankfurt.”

Ekitike was speaking on the eve of Liverpool’s Champions League match at Galatasaray, where the young striker is in line to make his first appearance since last Tuesday’s embarrassing sending-off.

The Frenchman replaced Isak at half-time of the Carabao Cup clash against Southampton and went on to score a late winner. He famously removed his shirt and held it up to the cameras in celebration. However, the substitute had already been booked and received what Slot called a “stupid red card” that ruled him out of Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace.

“I think that wasn’t smart,” Ekitike admitted. “Obviously, I punished myself alone, I’d say. I felt a bit disappointed to watch the boys from home last Saturday, but as I said on Instagram, I apologise to everybody already, to my teammates. That kind of thing won’t happen again. I just move on now. I am just looking forward to playing and I just focus on football.”

Ekitike will hope to make amends in Istanbul, where Liverpool arrived without Federico Chiesa due to what Slot described as a “little niggle.” The Liverpool boss did not want to take any risks ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea—a match he hopes to approach on the back of a morale-boosting victory against Galatasaray.

“I think we always have to do, no matter if you win, lose, or draw, what is asked of you if you want to compete for trophies, but let alone if you wear a Liverpool shirt,” Slot said. “That is giving everything you have and combining that with the best football you can play.”

“We created more chances during the course of the game, more chances than we had in all the three games we played before against Palace, but we also conceded many more chances than we did before. So we can improve, and the things we can improve I will show tonight to the players.”
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/hugo-ekitike-reckons-alexander-isak-competition-will-boost-him-at-liverpool-1812742.html

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Late Eddie Nketiah winner sees Crystal Palace end Liverpool’s unbeaten start

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Liverpool were given a taste of their own medicine by Crystal Palace as Eddie Nketiah’s last-gasp winner wrecked their 100 per cent start to the season. The Eagles snatched a deserved 2-1 victory with the final kick of the match, just after Federico Chiesa thought he had rescued a point for the champions.

Since losing in the Community Shield to Palace, Liverpool had won all seven of their matches this season, clinching victory in six of them in the 83rd minute or later. But it was substitute Nketiah who produced the last-gasp heroics, prompting Palace’s usually reserved boss Oliver Glasner to charge down the touchline in celebration.

Palace took the lead early when Ismaila Sarr struck in the 10th minute. The goal came after Tyrick Mitchell and Yeremy Pino broke down the left, resulting in Palace’s first corner. Daichi Kamada swung in the cross, and Marc Guehi — who would have been playing for Liverpool if the Reds had secured his transfer on deadline day — challenged Ryan Gravenberch at the far post. It was Reds midfielder Gravenberch who inadvertently headed the ball back into his own six-yard box, where Sarr was on hand to lash it home.

Liverpool responded quickly by winning a free-kick on the edge of the Palace area, but play was delayed for six minutes due to a medical emergency in the Arthur Wait stand. When Mohamed Salah finally stepped up, his shot hit the defensive wall, and Gravenberch’s fierce follow-up was superbly tipped onto the near post by Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker was by far the busier keeper throughout the match, keeping his side in it by denying Pino, Daniel Munoz, and Jean-Philippe Mateta in quick succession. Defender Ibrahima Konate, in particular, endured a torrid time at the back, which was compounded when he pulled back Mateta to earn a booking. This display highlighted exactly why Reds boss Arne Slot pushed hard to land England defender Guehi.

Konate probably should have equalised with a free header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner, but the ball flew inches wide. Palace twice came agonisingly close to doubling their lead in first-half stoppage time. First, a slick counter culminated in Mateta curling his shot against Alisson’s far post, then the French striker blazed a volley over from eight yards before the break.

After the break, Munoz just failed to convert Pino’s cross at the far post, before Alisson came out quickly to block Mateta again. Liverpool should have been level on the hour mark, but Florian Wirtz side-footed Szoboszlai’s cross straight at Henderson.

Then came what should have been Alexander Isak’s big moment. The £130 million striker raced onto a ball played in behind, jinked past Chris Richards, only to stab his shot wide.

However, with three minutes left, the ball found Chiesa in the area, and the Italian volleyed home. The goal survived a VAR check for handball by Salah, providing Liverpool with hope.

Yet Nketiah had the last word, tucking the ball away at the far post with another VAR check for offside adding to the late drama — which this time did not go Liverpool’s way.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/late-eddie-nketiah-winner-sees-crystal-palace-end-liverpools-unbeaten-start-1811933.html

football, liverpool, sports

Liverpool star makes ‘massive’ Alexander Isak claim as classy Giovanni Leoni gesture revealed

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Cody Gakpo has reacted to Alexander Isak scoring his first Liverpool goal and Giovanni Leoni suffering an ACL injury ahead of the Reds’ trip to Crystal Palace this weekend.

The Liverpool forward sent a heartfelt message to team-mate Giovanni Leoni after the teenager was struck down by a serious ACL injury. The Italian defender impressed on his Reds debut against Southampton in midweek, only to be injured after landing awkwardly late in the second half.

Leoni was stretchered off the pitch, and it has since been confirmed that he has suffered an ACL injury. Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted at his pre-match press conference on Friday that the young defender faces up to a year on the sidelines.

Leoni took to social media on Thursday to thank the Liverpool fanbase for their support following his injury. Several of his team-mates also offered their own messages of encouragement to the promising defender.

The Reds return to action on Saturday evening as they travel to face Crystal Palace. Ahead of the match, Gakpo shared how the Liverpool squad plan to support Leoni through his lengthy injury lay-off.

“It’s always sad to see that something like that happens,” Gakpo said. “We will try to be there for him as much as we can and to help him through this difficult period.”

Leoni was one of ten new signings at Liverpool this summer as the club embarked on a £450 million spending spree. Breaking the British transfer record twice to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, the latter opened his account for Liverpool last time out against Southampton.

Having seen Isak regularly torment Liverpool in the past while playing for Newcastle United, Gakpo is delighted to now call the striker a team-mate. He also made a positive prediction for the impact of Liverpool’s record signing following his first goal for the club.

“That’s obviously massive for him, as well as for us,” Gakpo told the club website. “I think everybody knows how good he can be. We saw him in the Newcastle team scoring a lot of goals and hopefully he can do that for us as well. A very good player on the ball, off the ball. I’m very happy that he’s here.”
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-star-makes-massive-alexander-32562196