Arne Slot's £194m tactical headache
Ever since Liverpool splashed out nearly £200m on two star strikers in one window, fans have debated whether Arne Slot will dare to unleash them side by side. So far, the answer is no. The pair have been rotated like-for-like, with Ekitike replacing Isak in a Carabao Cup tie against Southampton and the Swede swapping in for the Frenchman against Everton in the Premier League.
Ekitike makes his feelings known about Isak
Ekitike remains unfazed about Isak's arrival and said: "We are playing at such a big club, and I can't see one big club playing just with only one striker. It's good that he is here, even for me. I have still a lot of things to improve and learn."
The former Eintracht Frankfurt striker insisted that he is even ready to share the pitch with Isak if given an opportunity by Slot.
"I have played in two strikers composition and one striker, so I can do a lot of things," he said. "If we have to play together I can do that. The coach hasn't talked a lot about my way to play or where I need to play. He gave me a lot of freedom in terms of being able to link up with the boys or go behind. I can do a lot of things, he just wants me to bring my football in the team."
'Wasn’t smart' - Ekitike's confession
Ekitike would have loved to make his case against Crystal Palace last weekend but was stuck at home thanks to a self-inflicted ban. The forward was shown a second yellow card in the League Cup after ripping off his shirt in celebration of his match-winning strike against Southampton.
"That wasn't smart," he admitted. "I felt a bit disappointed to watch the boys from home on Saturday. And as I've said before, I apologised to everybody already, to my team-mates - that kind of thing won't happen again."
Without him, Liverpool stumbled to a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park, with Isak grinding out 84 minutes as he edges closer to peak sharpness.
Back in the firing line
The good news for Ekitike is that he’s likely to reclaim his starting role in Europe this week. With Liverpool heading to Turkey for a crunch Champions League tie against Galatasaray, the Frenchman is tipped to return to the XI and remind Slot of his finishing touch. Liverpool need him firing. Saturday’s slip-up at Palace was a setback for the champions, and Slot will be desperate for his frontline to click on the continental stage.