Isak's Departure Gives Ekitike Space To Become Liverpool's Main Player

Hugo Ekitike actually became Liverpool's hero and contributed greatly to Alexander Isak (Instagram/@liverpoolfc).

JAKARTA - When they arrived in Germany, Liverpool really hated the number five. That is, they tried to lose their fifth when they met Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Thursday, October 23, 2025 in the morning WIB.

Luckily, instead of suffering a fifth straight defeat in all competitions, Arne Slot's side ended their streak of defeats with a 5-1 win answering most of the questions raised to the Premier League champions.

Arne Slot must be happy to see new player worth 100 million pounds, Florian Wirtz, list two assists in the convincing win.

That night was also the night when Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones proved that Liverpool could have an effective midfield, even with so many attacking talent on the pitch.

Although the positive side of the easy victory to end four consecutive defeats is clear, the negative side of Liverpool's performance at Deutsche Bank Park is the injury of Alexander Isak who only played 45 minutes.

He was replaced by substitute Federico Chiesa in the first half on the grounds of a groin problem, after his highly ineffective performance.

Arne Slot said last Friday, before a 1-2 defeat against Manchester United at Anfield, that Isak now had no reason to perform and fitness after his interrupted pre-season and left him almost out of training pending his move from Newcastle United.

"We can judge him fairly from now on," said Arne Slot five days ago.

However, in fact he prefers the Swedish player over Mohamed Salah against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Instead, Isak did not perform optimally and was injured instead. The Dutch coach should have thanked Hugo Ekitike, the player who was brought in in summer for 69 million pounds from Eintracht Frankfurt, who once again performed brilliantly by scoring goals as his more famous striker's partner continued to slump.

"Alex has to go out of the field because he feels pain at the base of his thigh. Hopefully it won't be too bad," Arne Slot told reporters.

Isak has now scored one goal in eight appearances and has the potential to miss. Meanwhile, Ekitike has scored six goals in 12 appearances.

It is this French player who looks like a main star, a main player, or whatever the designation for the striker is most likely to contribute in critical times.

When Liverpool trailed 0-1 after Rasmus Kristensen's goal in the 26th minute, Ekitike became the winner with an amazing equalizer nine minutes later.

Only seven seconds later after Andy Robertson provided a direct through ball from Liverpool's penalty box, Ekitike immediately led the ball.

He showed incredible speed and calm before scoring a goal against his former club.

It was the final finish of an extraordinary goalscorer and something Isak could have dreamed of at this time.

Within four minutes of Ekitike's goal, Virgil van Dijk's header put Liverpool ahead and they took a 3-1 lead in the first half thanks to Ibrahima Konate's header.

Ekitike's goal became a catalyst and turned a bad night into an incredible night for Liverpool. Goals in the second half of Cody Gakpo and Szoboszlai, both created by Wirtz, confirmed a landslide victory.

Eintracht did perform poorly and the difference in classes between the two teams was huge. So, although Liverpool will definitely gain confidence from this win and end their streak of defeats, concrete evidence of whether they have recovered from adversity will be seen as they travel to Brentford in the Premier League this weekend.

However, the opponent's standards won't be a problem for Liverpool. Arne Slot even said that they had made it easier for his team with tactics.

"We were able to press the opponent. However, we were unable to do it in the last few games because the ball always flew," said Arne Slot.

If Wirtz could continue his performance in Frankfurt to a more challenging Premier League arena then this victory would be the turning point Liverpool has been looking for.

Wirtz was given time and space to find a gap in the Eintracht Frankfurt defense and he took advantage of it.

However, he is not without a problem. The match in Germany provides a glimpse into the problems that Wirtz often experiences in the Premier League, where he feels his physical demands are heavy.

Time to prove whether Wirtz has gone through a difficult time, just like Liverpool as a whole.

Sometimes victory is the only thing that matters, regardless of who will be the winner. If an easy win in Frankfurt paves the way for Arne Slot and his team, then their streak of defeat will soon be forgotten.

However, Liverpool had to continue this victory to prove that it wasn't a nightmare.