Hugo Ekitike is already delivering objectives for Liverpool and dash stats present Arne Slot is correct – there’s extra to come back

Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column through which Adam Bate makes use of a mix of information and opinion to mirror on a few of the key tales from the most recent Premier League matches. This week:

• Ekitike’s dash stats on rise
• Saka’s key crossing numbers
• Woltemade remoted up entrance

Ekitike impressing – and bettering

Hugo Ekitike scored each Liverpool objectives of their 2-0 win over Brighton to take his complete for the Premier League season to seven. Only Erling Haaland has scored extra objectives from open-play conditions than the summer time signing from Eintracht Frankfurt.

While Mohamed Salah’s spectacular return to the staff as an early substitute was the story at Anfield on Saturday, Ekitike’s contribution highlighted his rising influence. His seven photographs and 12 touches within the field had been each weekend highs within the Premier League.

He was substituted himself, quickly after showing to undergo from cramp, one thing that Arne Slot referenced afterwards. “I can assure you that he did probably twice as much as in games in the beginning of the season where I had to take him off with cramp.”

Ekitike’s sprints stats underline that time. He made 25 high-intensity sprints in opposition to Brighton, in keeping with Opta. That was essentially the most that he has made in any Premier League look – breaking his file of 24 that he had set within the earlier sport at Leeds.

“He is getting more and more energy to keep on running with and without the ball,” Slot defined. It is partly why the Anfield crowd have taken to him so rapidly, recurrently chanting his title. Ekitike’s driving runs catch the attention, as does his all-round sport.

The distinction with Alexander Isak, the striker for whom Liverpool broke the British switch file shortly after signing Ekitike, is irresistible. It isn’t just that Ekitike has outscored Isak, he has regarded the superior participant thus far in each attacking facet.

Perhaps most satisfyingly for Liverpool, he has outperformed his anticipated objectives complete, discovering the online seven occasions from probabilities which may have been anticipated to yield a mean of 4.24 objectives. Interesting when Ekitike’s ending at Frankfurt had been a purple flag final season.

But that fame for wastefulness was recognized by Liverpool as a purpose to imagine he was underrated. The enormous scope for enchancment in his sport is already obvious and Isak is now dealing with a struggle to show that he ought to be the staff’s first-choice striker.

Even with the Swede nonetheless discovering his toes, the distinction in shot quantity and anticipated objectives is just not so nice and the numbers might swing in his favour ultimately. But, for now, it’s Ekitike who has seized his probability. It is Isak who’s taking part in catch up in each sense.

Saka’s crossing essential for Arsenal

Arsenal’s 94th-minute winner in opposition to backside membership Wolves on Saturday night owed one thing to fortune on condition that it was an personal objective by Yerson Mosquera. However, the supply of the objective was much less stunning on condition that it got here from a Bukayo Saka cross.

Arsenal’s first objective had some similarities – goalkeeper Sam Johnstone diverting Saka’s nook into his personal web. Fantasy soccer gamers had been celebrating two Saka assists, though, as personal objectives, neither technically depend in the direction of Saka’s Opta assists complete.

That doesn’t change the truth that the Gunners are so reliant on his capability to create. While Gabriel Martinelli had the staff’s two finest probabilities, a lot of the assaults got here from the correct wing and, specifically, Saka’s common movement of crosses into the field.

His complete of 5 profitable open-play crosses was the a lot of the Premier League weekend by far, no different participant managing greater than two. No marvel Wolves boss Rob Edwards was left bemoaning Fer Lopez’s failure to stop that closing ball reaching the penalty field.

“Stop the cross, defend the cross,” stated Edwards afterwards. “We have done it for almost 100 minutes. Do it for that last bit, we take something from the game.” That will undoubtedly be a priority for Arsenal. But stopping Saka is clearly simpler stated than achieved.

Woltemade’s woe for Newcastle

It was a privilege to be on the Stadium of Light to witness the return of one of many nice fixtures of English soccer to the Premier League. Nick Woltemade won’t have loved it fairly a lot because it was his personal objective that determined the sport in Sunderland’s favour.

The German would have dreamed of heading into the again of the online after which being serenaded from the sphere by supporters. Unfortunately, it was his staff’s web and Sunderland’s supporters. The longer-term concern was his lack of influence on the different finish.

Newcastle had been so poor, with the help for the lone striker nowhere close to ok. Woltemade accomplished solely two passes within the sport and never one after his personal objective regardless of being on the pitch for an additional half an hour earlier than being substituted.

Eddie Howe recommended afterwards that the purpose had been to maintain it tight. “That was our plan in the first half, to be solid and compact.” But it left Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon working so deep and Woltemade minimize a desperately remoted determine all through.

He was not free from blame. His hold-up success price this season is under 50 per cent regardless of his huge body and there was one wonderful alternative to play in Gordon in the course of the first half that, had he proven higher consciousness, might need modified the sport utterly.

Howe additionally pointed to the opportunity of fatigue as a proof for Woltemade’s efficiency on condition that he has needed to carry the load up entrance with Yoane Wissa not out there to share that burden. Since signing from Stuttgart, he has began each Premier League sport.

But Woltemade’s file of 1 objective in his final 10 video games for Newcastle exhibits why Wissa’s return can’t come quickly sufficient. It additionally means that Howe would possibly have to tweak the system to get the perfect from a participant in want of a greater construction round him.