Liverpool news as Hugo Ekitike 'not happy' and Mohamed Salah faces music

Hugo Ekitike admitted he's not satisfied with his goal tally after Liverpool's 5-2 win over West Ham, while Mohamed Salah faced harsh criticism from ex-Red Mark Kennedy

Hugo Ekitike scored for Liverpool on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool may have reversed its Premier League fortunes, but the difficulties facing Mohamed Salah persist.

The Reds secured a commanding 5-2 triumph over West Ham on Saturday to register their third consecutive Premier League victory - the first occasion they've achieved such a run since December. It also marked the first instance they've netted five goals in a league fixture since securing the title last season with a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham at Anfield.

While it wasn't a flawless display from Arne Slot's side, it represented crucial three points that bolstered their ambitions for Champions League qualification. The likes of Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo rediscovered their scoring touch, yet the prolonged barren spell in front of goal for Liverpool's Egyptian King remains unbroken.

It proved another disappointing outing for Salah, who has thus far netted 25 goals fewer than he managed throughout last season's entire league campaign.

Further scathing criticism has been directed toward him, while Liverpool.com also examines the revealing remarks Ekitike delivered following Saturday's victory that positioned them within three points of Aston Villa.

Ekitike 'not happy'

Ekitike is clearly not becoming complacent. The 23-year-old netted once and provided two assists in Saturday's triumph, but the forward believes his current season tally of 16 goals and six assists across all competitions isn't satisfactory.

In a chat with LFCTV, Ekitike confessed: "To be honest, I could score more. I'm not that happy. But it's not even goals, it's assists as well. Today I think I gave one or two assists, I don't remember.

"As long as I can help the team and be involved, that's the most important. I want to win, so personally I'm happy, but I'm looking forward to the upcoming games."

Salah faces music

Liverpool's challenging season has been further complicated by a noticeable decline in Salah's form, hindering the club's quest to recapture last year's winning spirit. With a modest return of four goals and six assists in the Premier League, the 33-year-old appears a mere echo of his former self.

Mohamed Salah has struggled this season(Image: Getty Images)

Adding to a poor performance in the Reds' 5-2 victory over West Ham, Salah's failure to find the back of the net extended his goalless run in the league to 10 consecutive matches - a first for the Egyptian winger during his time at the club.

His dip in form has sparked debates about whether his days at the pinnacle of football might be drawing to a close. Former Liverpool winger Mark Kennedy didn't mince words, harshly calling the 33-year-old "yesterday's man."

Prior to Liverpool's win, the Irishman shared on talkSPORT: "I am going to be controversial here.

"When I look at Salah's stats last year, they're absolutely phenomenal. But every time I watch Liverpool, I never liked Salah. I think his ball retention is really, really poor. He gives up a lot of possession, and I've been really vocal when I speak to people about Salah this year.

"I am a Liverpool fan, I am a big fan of Salah, I think he's amazing, but I think he's yesterday's man. I am not surprised by his performances this year because I've actually been saying it for a long time."