END OF DROUGHT: ALEXANDER ISAK BREAKS 381-MINUTE GOAL WAIT FOR STRUGGLING LIVERPOOL
After a three-game losing streak, Liverpool's expensive signings stepped up. Florian Wirtz played his best game, and Alexander Isak scored his crucial first Premier League goal for the club.
Alexander Isak wasn't at his sharpest against West Ham, and Florian Wirtz is still chasing his first Premier League assist.
Liverpool played the Hammers in London, wanting to snap a three-game losing streak. Before Sunday, they had lost nine of their last 12 games, with new signings Isak and Wirtz struggling to find their place at Anfield.
Wirtz, who came from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million ($153.7 million), hadn't gotten an assist or goal in the Premier League before Sunday. Isak only had one goal for Liverpool after his £125 million ($165.6 million) move from Newcastle.
Both players had another shot to make an impact against West Ham after Arne Slot changed his starting lineup, and Wirtz grabbed his chance in the first half. He was probably the best player on the field, setting up chances for Isak.
Around 15 minutes into the game, Wirtz made a great play. He dribbled down the left and crossed the ball into the six-yard box, but Isak couldn't connect with it. "That's a great ball," said ex-West Ham goalie Rob Green on Sky Sports.
A fit striker would attack the near post. Wirtz sees the space and aims to get the ball there.
West Ham's goalie, Alphonse Areola, also stopped Isak from close range in the first half. Isak is considered a top striker in Europe after scoring 54 Premier League goals in three years at Newcastle.
But Isak needs to get his form back if Liverpool wants to turn their season around. Before Sunday's game, Liverpool was in the bottom half of the Premier League, even after winning the league easily last season.
If Wirtz keeps playing like this, he'll start getting assists and goals in the Premier League soon. He also had a good scoring chance in the first half, but couldn't beat Areola.
"I'm watching Wirtz—he's in good spots and looks lively for Liverpool," said former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison on BBC Radio 5 Live.
Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports, Wirtz has been the best player out there.
This is his best 45 minutes in a Liverpool shirt.
I thought he'd be on the right at first, but he's in his preferred spot, tucked in on the left.
He should have done better with his chance, but he has been better than everyone else.
WHAT’S MISSING? WHY 16 GOALS AND 6 ASSISTS AREN'T ENOUGH FOR HUGO EKITIKE
Liverpool's top scorer Hugo Ekitike reflects on a massive win at Anfield and explains why he’s still hungry for more goals.
Hugo Ekitike isn’t exactly thrilled with his goal tally for Liverpool this season, even though he’s still leading the pack as the club’s top scorer.
He got his 16th goal of the season on Saturday, kicking things off in Liverpool’s 5-2 win over West Ham at Anfield. Not bad for his debut year. Plus, the 23-year-old, who came over from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer for up to £79 million, set up two more goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo. That puts him at 22 goal involvements so far.
Still, Ekitike thinks he’s got a lot more to give. He missed solid chances against Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, and Manchester City recently, and that’s still bugging him.
“To be honest, I could score more,” he said. “I’m not that happy! But it’s not just about goals; it’s assists too. On Saturday, I set up one or two. As long as I’m helping the team and being involved, that’s what really matters. I want to win, so in that way, I’m happy.
“Obviously, I can improve. I could’ve scored in those last games; I had some good chances. So I’ll keep working. I want to be the best I can for the team, because I know I can do more.
“It’s all about learning and getting better. I’ll try to step it up in the next games, score more, and get involved even more.”
His goal against West Ham came after Liverpool kept the pressure on from a corner. Four of their goals that day came straight from, or just after, set pieces.
“We had some problems at the start of the season,” Ekitike said about Liverpool’s set-piece struggles. “We’ve all talked about it and worked on it together in training. It’s great to see it paying off now. We deserved it; honestly, we’ve put a lot of work into this.”
Saturday was the first of seven huge games in just over three weeks. Liverpool were up 3-0 at halftime, but West Ham didn’t just roll over; they made Liverpool work for it in the second half, fighting to stay out of the relegation zone.
Talking to liverpoolfc.com, Ekitike said, “Scoring early in games like that helps, for the team and for the fans. You feel more confident. And going in at halftime 3-0 up, that’s always good.
“But they showed it’s not over till it’s over, they fought back, and we let a couple in. When that happens, you have to score more, and we did. We got five.
“We’ve got to keep going, because there’s a long way left in the season. But yeah, I’m really happy. That win mattered.”
SURGICAL SECRETS: WHAT KIND OF OPERATION DID WATARU ENDO ACTUALLY HAVE THIS WEEK?
Endo surgery success: Get the latest from Hajime Moriyasu on Wataru’s World Cup opener goals and the Liverpool injury fallout today.
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu says Liverpool’s Wataru Endo recently had surgery and now has his sights set on being fit for this summer’s World Cup. Endo got stretchered off with a foot injury during Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Sunderland back on February 11.
There’s still no clear timeline for Endo’s return. Liverpool boss Arne Slot did sound hopeful earlier, saying the Japan captain could play again before the season ends. But with Endo out, Slot’s now down to just four senior midfielders.
Moriyasu’s latest comments don’t really offer much hope for Liverpool fans wanting to see Endo back soon. Speaking to Nikkan Sports, he said Endo’s working toward being ready for Japan’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands on June 14, three days after the tournament starts.
“I’ve heard he had surgery and that it went well, but I don’t know the full details,” Moriyasu said. “The plan is to have him fit in time for the World Cup, so everyone’s focused on his rehab. He wants to play, the club wants it, and so do we. We’re all on the same page.”
Back on February 13, Slot told reporters that Endo would be out for a good while. “We still need to do some assessments, but he’ll be sidelined for quite a long time,” the 47-year-old said.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk admitted the whole squad is pretty down about Endo’s injury. “It’s a shame; we were all really gutted after the Sunderland game,” Van Dijk said. “I had a similar foot injury when I was at Southampton, and it’s tough to deal with. But we’re here for him; we’ll support him in any way we can.
“It’s not great, he’s such a key part of the team, a real leader. On the pitch, he gives everything, and you could see that in the game. It’s a big blow, but we have to deal with it, and we will. Hopefully he’s not out too long, but honestly, it looks like it’ll be a while.”
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