Jamie Carragher given 'hope' by Liverpool duo compared to iconic pairing

Jamie Carragher wanted to see what the plan was for Liverpool's future and in the win over Newcastle United, Arne Slot's men offered a big glimpse of something exciting

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.(Image: Sky Sports // YouTube)

Liverpool duo Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are being compared to Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres by some Reds fans — and Jamie Carragher was left very impressed by their performance against Newcastle United.

Ekitike scored twice and Wirtz once as the pair linked up brilliantly alongside Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo. They have now combined for a league-high six goals this season, which is one more than Manchester City's Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland.

"It's exciting because you're looking to the future as a Liverpool supporter, about what the team can be like," Carragher explained on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"We've said about the team eventually having to move on from Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah, so you need to see these players emerge. And also, for the manager.

"We spoke last week on the back of the Bournemouth defeat that you have got to have hope that this project will move forward. It gives you hope when you see the new signings playing as they are."

Signed for a combined sum of around $266 million (£195 million) in the summer, Ekitike and Wirtz have really come into their own in the last few weeks.

Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal with Florian Wirtz during the Premier League match against Newcastle United at Anfield on January 31 2026(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"He's a great player who smells football," Ekitike said of WIrtz. "It's pretty easy for me to play with him. I like to create space, link up and I can do everything with that kind of player.

"You just have to run in the free space and I know he will find me, like tonight. He gave me a great pass, so it's just fun to play with him."

Arne Slot was also delighted to see his new arrivals doing well. Milos Kerkez, the $54 million (£40 million) addition from Bournemouth, was also excellent against Newcastle.

"I think our other signings played a very good game as well," Slot said. "Everyone should talk about [Ekitike's] goals and his actions and how nice this is because that’s much more important than work off the ball for them.

"But for me, as a manager, I see throughout the last six or seven months improvement but lately a lot of improvement in terms of work-rate off the ball — not even work rate, but the ability to keep on going off the ball, especially with Hugo and Florian.

"They’ve improved in the last seven or eight months but now I think everyone can see that improvement as well. The more we have the ball they can show how special they, and all the ones who won the league here, are together.

"Unfortunately, that took a bit of time because that is how high the intensity levels of the Premier League are."

Liverpool.com says: There is no doubt that all of the players the Reds signed in the summer are of a very high level. Alexander Isak is clearly an elite striker too. The only issue so far has been integrating them all, but things are starting to get better now.