3 days ago
18
Hugo Ekitike was told he needs to be more clinical after missing a gilt-edged chance during the Community Shield defeat by Crystal Palace.
Ekitike opened his account for Liverpool with a brilliant first-half goal, as he received the ball from Florian Wirtz before firing a crisp finish into the bottom corner of Dean Henderson's net.
It was a goal that oozed quality, but Ekitike's rawness was on show in the second half as he put a header wide from just yards out when it seemed easier to score. For Liverpool fans who watched Darwin Nunez fluff his lines on countless occasions over the previous three seasons, the miss will have been particularly painful to see.
It is very early days in Ekitike's Liverpool career, but two former strikers said he should still have done better with the header.
Former Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray told the BBC: “Ekitike has his head in his hands because he knows he has got to do better. He knows that is a big chance gone begging. Big chance, he needs to be more clinical.”
Meanwhike, ex-Rangers star Ally McCoist said on TNT Sports: “He should score.
"He does well to hold off Marc Guehi initially but he should have hit the target and he knows that's a big chance.”
Ekitike's overall performance was encouraging, and his withdrawal in the 71st minute saw Liverpool's attacking threat diminish. After the game, Slot explained his decision to take the 22-year-old off.
"It is always nice to score a goal not only for Hugo but also for Jeremie Frimpong, if you start with a new club," Slot said.
"But it would have been even nicer to win the game of football because he had even more impact than scoring a goal.
"[Ekitike] is also an example of a player that came only one and a half or two weeks ago, at the end of the Asia tour.
"And with only four days before the Friday game, it would not have been smart to play him 90 minutes.
"Of course, we have Federico [Chiesa] but he has not been with us in the Asia tour as well, so there is not a lot to replace [Ekitike] with at this moment in time."
"So, if he gets an injury, that would be a big risk for the Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal games. That is why I took him off, but he had a good game today, that is for sure."
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