Ex-Liverpool star makes feelings clear on Hugo Ekitike importance to Arne Slot

Liverpool won 5-2 against West Ham to boost its hopes of a top-five finish in the Premier League, and Hugo Ekitike was on target with his 15th goal of the season

Hugo Ekitike celebrates after scoring against West Ham(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)

Hugo Ekitike came in for praise from a former Liverpool defender after opening the scoring in the Reds' Premier League game against West Ham.

Ekitike ended a four-game goalless run as his deflected effort put Liverpool in front against the Hammers, and set the team on the way to a 5-2 victory.

"How many times have Liverpool relied on this guy?" Warnock said on the BBC. "Hugo Ekitike has been quite simply brilliant in a Liverpool shirt.

"Since he joined, all the talk was about Alexander Isak joining the club and he has quietened that and made it all about him."

Ekitike's strike was followed by goals from Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, and an Axel Disasi own-goal. Tomas Soucek and Valentin Castellanos both scored for West Ham.

Ekitike also assisted two goals against West Ham, which means he is now on 15 goals and four assists for Liverpool in all competitions this season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, has now won four of its last five games in the Premier League to boost its chances of a top-five finish, which would almost certainly be enough to secure a spot in next season's Champions League.

The team is clearly improving after a difficult first half of the season, which at one point saw the team go on a run of nine losses in 12 games in all competitions.

Ekitike's fellow scorer against West Ham, Mac Allister, said that the team is improving as a result of the time that they have had to get used to each other in recent months.

Alexis Mac Allister and Hugo Ekitike celebrate against West Ham(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)

Liverpool sold several important players and brought in several high-profile names in last summer's transfer window, and the expectation was that the team would gel instantly, but that was clearly not the case during a rocky end to 2025.

"Now that we spend some time together, things are easier for us, we understand each other," Mac Allister said.

"The last four or five months is when teams show what they can do. That's what we want.

"We know how important it is to qualify for the Champions League for the club and us as a team. The goal is there and we are going to do everything to qualify and be closer to the teams on top."