What's gone wrong with £69m Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike?

Amid all of Liverpool’s problems in the last few weeks, perhaps the decline in form of Hugo Ekitike has slipped under the radar.

The 23-year-old forward went off like a rocket following his £69m move from Eintracht Frankfurt. He netted in three of his first five Premier League games, adding an assist, and also scored versus Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.

The Frenchman took up reins with Alexander Isak injured - looking a perfect fit for Arne Slot’s side from the off. But things have taken a massive downturn for the former Paris Saint-Germain man in recent weeks.

He’s scored one goal in his last 10 matches for club and country - an admittedly wonderful breakaway effort versus a very generous Frankfurt side in the Champions League.

Ekitike's goals have dried up

But elsewhere Ekitike has struggled for shots - only FOUR on target in the entirety of the Premier League season so far. And worse than that, he’s struggling for involvement full stop.

Against Manchester City on Sunday, Ekitike was selected to lead the line once again with Isak not yet fit. Across 56 minutes on the pitch he touched the ball 11 times.

So what’s gone wrong?

Well it’s impossible to isolate any one player as Liverpool’s only problem. There is a complete malfunction in the Reds right now - solved only temporarily in two wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid by going back to basics.

And crucially, those wins came at home against two opponents who played into Slot’s hands. Any inclination that Liverpool were “back” after those two wins can now be thrown out the window.

Liverpool forwards missing TAA and Diaz

Ekitike’s dip in form has come following his red card against Southampton in the EFL Cup against Southampton. He has not scored a domestic goal since then.

We know Slot was upset with the red card but it simply doesn’t make sense that Ekitike’s form has nosedived as a result of that alone.

He initially didn't do an awful lot wrong - the red card aside - to force Slot into dropping him for Isak. And with the Swede out injured yet again, the Dutch tactician has once again got Ekitike leading the line.

So what could it be?

For one thing, Liverpool are feeling the effects of losing a couple of players that Ekitike never even played with.

Shorn of Trent Alexander-Arnold they can no longer move the ball through the thirds for forward players in the blink of an eye.

And without Luis Diaz on the left they have lost crucial one-on-one chance-making ability that a central striker could profit from.

Ekitike is a symptom not a cause

Diaz’s replacement at No7 Florian Wirtz is much more a “ball to feet” player and has recently been stationed towards the left of the attack.

That in turn has caused an issue for Ekitike up top as he likes to come short and is often occupying the same space as his fellow Bundesliga graduate.

Moreover, it’s clearly been demonstrated that Dominik Szoboszlai has to play as the central playmaker - both for his work on the ball and off it.

That means though that Richard Hughes’ plan of using Wirtz to unlock “low blocks” has been thrown into disarray.

So much for the Wirtz to Ekitike pipeline. It’s been nonexistent.

Ekitike is on a run of five league games without a goal following his goal glut to start the season.

His numbers are low; FOTMOB details that he is only having 0.57 shots per 90, only 32 touches per 90 and an alarmingly low 3.81 touches in the opposition box per 90.

Liverpool have got so much to work on in order for this squad to function like a well-oiled machine. Right now Ekitike’s poor form is a symptom and not a cause.

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