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Thierry Henry has warned Alexander Isak he can’t afford to “fall asleep” at Liverpool following Hugo Ekitike’s impressive start to life at Anfield.
Isak is expected to make his first Premier League start for the Reds at Crystal Palace on Saturday, with Ekitike suspended after receiving a red card against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
Both players scored in the 2-1 victory on Tuesday, with Isak striking for the first time since his deadline day arrival from Newcastle, while Ekitike grabbed his fifth goal since making the move from Eintracht Frankfurt - although his decision to remove his shirt and receive a second yellow card against the Saints didn’t leave anyone too impressed.
Isak can therefore now stake his claim as Liverpool’s first-choice striker, although Arne Slot is continuing to manage his minutes carefully after a summer in which he was mostly isolated from his former Newcastle teammates.
The Swedish international was expected by many to leap ahead of Ekitike in the pecking order after his arrival, although the latter’s continued good form had complicated things more than was perhaps anticipated.
And Henry, speaking to Betway, has warned Isak he will have no opportunity to rest upon his laurels.
“You call that a nice headache. There is a choice now, and Ekitike made himself a choice,” Henry said.
“He arrived and erased any doubts about the time it would take him to adapt. He showed that he is at the level to play for Liverpool.
“Nobody was questioning whether Isak would adapt after what he did for Newcastle. The question mark was more on Ekitike, and he answered the call.
“At every club, you need to have players of the same quality at every position, because if someone falls asleep then the guy that comes in can take your place. That’s what we created at Arsenal – the quality on the bench is the same as on the field.”
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Asked which Premier League signing had impressed him the most so far this season, Henry added: “It’s Ekitike. People will say it’s an obvious one, but credit is due – nobody thought he was going to arrive and perform like that.”
Ekitike’s suspension only lasts for one game, meaning the French international will be available again for Liverpool’s trip to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.
With the games coming thick and fast, Slot will need to utilize his strikers as much as he can, with Ekitike’s impressive start leaving his head coach with plenty to think about as the season progresses.
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