'The calmness': Michael Owen blown away by what 'brilliant' Liverpool player did against West Ham
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Hugo Ekitike scored and assisted during Liverpool vs West Ham, with Michael Owen quick to praise his quality when setting up Alexis Mac Allister.Ekitike has been compared to Fernando Torres again after he opened the scoring on Saturday afternoon.Virgil van Dijk added Liverpool’s second of the day from a set-piece before Alexis Mac Allister made it 3-0 shortly before the break.The French striker had a key role in the goal and has now received praise from Michael Owen, who covered the game as a pundit for the Premier League. Did anyone actually deserve man of the match against West Ham? 😆 If so, who was it?
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images Michael Owen praises Hugo Ekitike’s touch and calmness vs West HamSpeaking about the Argentine’s effort in the first half, Owen was quick to point out the ‘calmness’ and ‘touch’ of Ekitike to ensure he was able to set up his teammate for the third goal of the day.He said: “Another set-piece. That lay-off, [Hugo Ekitike] makes it look easy.
“When the ball lands at Ekitike’s feet, the calmness and the touch is brilliant.” PROVE ME WRONG: Hugo Ekitike WILL have a better Liverpool career than Luis Suarez Credit: Johnnie Izquierdo/Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Ekitike has now lost his most prolific Liverpool teammate this season, with Florian Wirtz on the sidelines for an unknown amount of time.The duo have already combined for six goals this season, matching a record Owen and Steven Gerrard set back in 2002/03.However, the Frenchman’s ability to connect with other Liverpool teammates was on full display against West Ham.Ryan Gravenberch’s pass for the opener was excellent and without Wirtz in the side, Mac Allister has been moving into more advanced roles when the Reds are on the attack.It may not have worked out against Forest, but Ekitike hasn’t taken long to start forming a much better understanding with the rest of his teammates while the German is out of action.The 23-year-old now has 16 goals and six assists across all competitions this season, the most of any Liverpool player.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox