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Liverpool arrested its alarming slump in form on Wednesday with an emphatic victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
Arne Slot's side had lost four games in a row going into the European fixture — the first time that had happened since Brendan Rodgers was the manager. The Dutchman will hope the result can kick Liverpool's season back into gear, with a tricky trip to Brentford on Saturday night on the horizon.
The Guardian reflected on what was, on the whole, a really positive night for Liverpool: "There was set-piece prowess, two assists from Florian Wirtz, accuracy in front of goal and, most importantly, that winning feeling again as Liverpool consigned their losing run to history.
"Slot’s team conceded first for the fifth game in a row but this time produced an emphatic and sustained response. Eintracht’s opener plus injuries to Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong – who could both be sidelined for weeks with respective groin and hamstring problems – were Slot’s only complaints on a night when Liverpool rediscovered their attacking verve."
One of The Athletic's talking points from the game focused on a formation tweak from Slot, as he lined up with Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak alongside each other in a front two.
Reporter Andy Jones wrote: "The problems have been mounting for Slot and in his search for answers, he opted to change shape from his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. It could not have gone much better.
"With Salah left out, Slot decided to play Isak and Ekitike together for the first time in a front two, with Gakpo on the left and Wirtz on the right.
"It was a fluid system, with Isak and Ekitike swapping sides frequently and Wirtz given the licence to roam from the right when Liverpool were in possession, allowing him to be a lot more involved."
The Telegraph's Sam Wallace piled praise on Hugo Ekitike, who has now scored six goals in all competitions for his new club. "There are many celebrated goalscorers in this Liverpool squad – those who have scored great quantities of goals in the recent past and others bought to do the same in the future – but none can currently touch the form of Hugo Ekitike.
"It was the French striker returning to his old club who was the most dangerous forward on the pitch and when he left, he did so to applause from both sets of fans. His first-half equaliser that set Liverpool on their way was a finish worthy of his great compatriot Thierry Henry at his peak. Which is to say it was dispatched with a speed and precision with which none could live."
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