All the pre-match noise from the away end was about a certain striker who turned his back on Newcastle, with songs we shall not repeat.
But as former Geordie icon Alexander Isak was consigned to a watching brief from the Main Stand, maybe they should have been more worried about another forward who these clubs tussled over last summer.
Hugo Ekitike was ‘close’ to heading to Tyneside and not Merseyside in July, to use the Frenchman’s own words when quizzed about it earlier this week.
Like Isak, though, Ekitike is a Liverpool player and Eddie Howe must be cursing that fact. The same goes for many managers around Europe who did not sign the striker.
His brace in this thumping victory took his goal tally since his arrival in England to 15, 10 of which have come in the Premier League as he stakes a claim to be signing of the season – and not just at Liverpool.
Whether he deserves that league-wide tag or not is a moot point given price-tags, positional differences and the immeasurable value to a team. But in a rather forgetful season in the league, Ekitike has been one of the shining lights.
Hugo Ekitike scored twice in Liverpool’s 4-1 victory over Newcastle on Saturday
The finish for his second goal was outstanding and the Frenchman’s tally is now 15
Around this time last year, Slot took the rare step of publicly singling out a player for criticism by asking more of Darwin Nunez and his all-round game.
Ekitike, therefore, was targeted for the holistic range of attributes he brings, with the head coach discussing these shortly after his unveiling.
In essence, the 23-year-old was not solely signed for his goal-scoring. Normally when people say that about a striker, it means they are profligate in front of goal. Not Ekitike. He is a marksman who has scored an array of strikes in a red shirt already.
He is capable in the air, strong with hold-up and traditional forward play, rapid when running in behind, clever with his off-the-ball movement and can pick a pass. Oh, and when his team were fielding a smidgen of pressure late on, there was Ekitike heading away in his own penalty area.
None of that would count for too much with fans without the goal-scoring, though – especially when a team is in need of results after five winless games in the league to start 2026.
And how he can score. Head, right foot, left, instinctive finishes, carving a shooting position from nowhere, he can do it all.
‘He is funny, happy, always brings a nice energy to the training ground,’ said Slot after the game on Ekitike. ‘But also to the stadium because the fans love him as well. From the start, everyone can see how special he is and how fast he is.
‘Not only him, our other signings played a good game as well. Everyone should talk about his goals and his actions, how nice this is because this is where pundits or every fan should talk about because for them this is more important than workrate off the ball.
Ekitike is forming a wonderful partnership with Florian Wirtz (right) for the Reds
‘But me as a manager I have seen improvement over six months but lately a lot of improvement in terms of workrate off the ball. Ability to keep on going off the ball, especially Hugo and Florian. Now everyone can see that improvement.
‘The better we are off the ball, the more we have the ball. The more we have the ball, the more they can show how special they are and all the ones that won the league here together. Unfortunately that took a bit of time because that is how high the intensity levels are.’
Strikers do not come cheap these days and no one is arguing £69million plus £10m in add-ons is not forking out the big bucks – but looking at other No 9s we have welcomed to the Premier League in recent years, Ekitike is looking a bargain especially noting his room for improvement.
There are certainly parts of his game he can improve. Slot has been demanding a lot of the French international in terms of off-the-ball work and intensity in the press. He does sometimes ghost through games so consistency is another accolade he will strive for.
But the best compliment he can receive is that when Isak fractured his leg and was ruled out for several months, most Liverpool fans’ panic was not in overdrive as they knew they had another prolific No 9 in their ranks.
Ekitike was just one of many performances that warranted high praise. His good friend Florian Wirtz, who also arrived from the German Bundesliga just before him, also took another step forward.
The midfielder has now scored six goals in 10 games after a slow start in front of goal had some rivals criticising him. But he has truly arrived now. He has an eye for passes that are not immediately obvious to the naked eye and can dictate matches.
Ekitike can score different kinds of goals but also links up incredibly effectively
‘He’s a great player,’ said Ekitike on Wirtz. ‘It’s pretty easy for me to play with him. I can do everything with that kind of player, I find the free space and he is gonna find me.’
Ibrahima Konate, another impressive figure on his return to the team after missing three games due to the sad passing of his father, added: ‘He just showed to the world his quality and for me he hasn’t reached his peak right now, this will come very soon.
Konate’s is right. It does feel like this is only the beginning for the German. His ceiling is sky-high and, if this is what a half-cooked, not-yet-fully-adjusted Wirtz looks like, opposition defences should be terrified as he can win matches on his own.
Overall, this was a night where Liverpool refound their swagger and also their attitude that makes teams scared of coming to Anfield. This was the first time all season, in the league, that they have come from behind to win.
The final word must go to the manager, Arne Slot, who we have not mentioned up until this point.
Liverpool fans should get behind Arne Slot rather than fighting among themselves
There was a banner in the Kop held aloft before the match which read ‘Arne’s Slot Machine… Believe!’.
Belief is something that has been lacking from large sections of the fanbase this week in the head coach, who has overseen two wins in a row and 10 goals scored at Anfield this week.
It has sparked some toxic scenes on social media that has seen fans arguing over being pro-Slot or against the boss.
He is certainly not exempt from criticism but it is clear he is here to stay, until the end of the season at the very least – so fans would be wise to get behind the team instead of fighting among themselves.
