Hugo Ekitike has Arne Slot “more and more excited” – doing “twice as much” as before

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Slot on Ekitike: The “intensity” report • The “twice as much” stat: Arne Slot revealed that Hugo Ekitike is now covering double the ground in matches compared to his first month at the club. • Dealing with cramp: Slot explained that while Ekitike struggled to walk after the Brighton game, he views the fatigue as a natural result of the player finally hitting the physical levels required. • Beyond the goals: Why the Liverpool head coach is “more and more excited” by the striker’s defensive work rate and tactical discipline, rather than just his scoring record. “No he didn’t, because we knew what type of player we signed,” he told reporters on Friday, when asked if Ekitike had surpassed his expectations.

“He had to go off I think in the Brighton game after 70 minutes because he had cramp, but he did double the amount of work that he did three months ago when I also had to take him off with cramp. “But his ability to score, his technique, his speed, all these things, that’s just what he has.

“He improved a lot in terms of how much he runs during a game, how hard he works and that’s a big help for the team as well. Defensively I’m more and more excited to see what he’s doing as well.” With Alexander Isak frank over his struggle to reach the heights expected of him since joining Liverpool, Ekitike’s adaptation is a relief.