Ekitike Shines as Liverpool Secure Clean Sheet Victory

Liverpool 2 – 0 Brighton – Premier League Man of the Match

Hugo Ekitike

Liverpool FC

Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool runs onto goal. Liverpool v Brighton and Hove Albion, Premier League, Football, Anfield

Authority at the Tip of the Attack

There was a calm certainty about Hugo Ekitike’s performance against Brighton that has been absent from Liverpool’s forward line for much of this season. In a campaign defined by hesitation, imbalance, and uncertainty, the French striker delivered something refreshingly simple: a centre-forward display built on timing, intelligence, and conviction.

From the opening minutes, Ekitike played like a striker who understands responsibility. His movement was sharp without being frantic, constantly pinning Brighton’s centre-backs and forcing them to make decisions they did not want to make. He didn’t drift aimlessly or look for the game to come to him. Instead, he dictated where the ball should go by occupying the right spaces at the right time.

Both goals reflected that clarity. The first was ruthless and composed, the second confident and instinctive. Yet it was the work between those moments that truly underlined his importance. Liverpool have struggled badly when pressed this season, often unable to get out of their own third without panic. Ekitike gave them an outlet — holding the ball up, linking play, and allowing midfield runners like Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai to arrive higher with purpose rather than desperation.

This was not a performance fuelled by chaos or chance. It was structure, control, and awareness — exactly what this Liverpool side has been crying out for.

Why Ekitike Is Now the Number One

There will be debate about Alexander Isak, and rightly so. He is a high-level striker with proven pedigree. But football is not played on reputation alone, and right now Ekitike has earned the right to lead the line.

On current form, he offers more balance to this side. His willingness to work across the front line, his understanding of when to drop and when to stretch play, and his growing confidence in front of goal all make Liverpool less predictable. Crucially, he reduces the burden on a midfield that has too often been exposed by a lack of protection further forward.

That does not mean Isak is finished or sidelined permanently. Quite the opposite. The emergence of Ekitike creates options — genuine ones. Together, they can form a complementary pairing in matches that require physicality and depth. As lone strikers, competition will sharpen standards rather than dilute them.

For the first time in weeks, Liverpool look like a team with a functional focal point. That matters. When your striker sets the tone, others follow. Brighton were never comfortable, never able to push their line up with confidence, and never allowed to dictate territory. That alone is worth its weight in points.

If Liverpool are serious about stabilising their season and building toward something sustainable, Hugo Ekitike must now be considered the first-choice striker. Until Isak finds rhythm and authority of his own, the shirt belongs to the man who earned it — and on this evidence, Ekitike has done exactly that.