Hugo Ekitiké delivered a haunting performance against the club that tried to sign him, scoring a quick-fire brace to propel Liverpool to a stunning 4-1 comeback victory over Newcastle United at Anfield. The win, sealed by an emotional Ibrahima Konaté, marks a significant step in Liverpool's quest for consistency under Arne Slot.
Newcastle, superior for 40 minutes, took a deserved lead through Anthony Gordon. However, the game flipped before halftime as Ekitiké, the £69m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt, struck twice in two minutes. The 23-year-old reminded Newcastle fans of the scoreline when he left the fray at 3-1, and was even congratulated by former Magpie Alexander Isak on the Liverpool bench.
Florian Wirtz capped a stylish display with Liverpool's third before Konaté, playing for the first time since his father's death, capitalised on a Newcastle error to score his first Anfield league goal. The Liverpool defender dissolved into tears when the moment sunk in.
The victory is the first time Liverpool have come from behind to win a Premier League match at Anfield since clinching the title against Tottenham last season. It follows a 6-0 midweek rout of Qarabag, showing Slot's demand for improvement in both boxes is taking hold.
Newcastle's gameplan, built on speed with Gordon, Anthony Elanga, and Harvey Barnes, worked perfectly until Ekitiké's intervention. After Gordon's opener, the French striker first poked home a Wirtz assist, then curled a superb finish from distance after Malick Thiaw failed to close him down.
Wirtz added a clinical third before Konaté's poignant late goal, prodding in after Nick Pope dropped a corner, compounded Newcastle's misery and extended their winless run at Anfield to 30 years.
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