Thierry Henry has named an “outstanding” Liverpool star as the signing of the summer, having been left very impressed with his performances so far this season.
Arsenal close gap to Liverpool after dramatic victory at Newcastle
Back in August, the Reds sent out a statement by picking up a dramatic 3-2 victory at Newcastle United, with teenager Rio Ngumoha scoring a stoppage-time winner, and Arsenal managed to win in similar style on Sunday.
With a little over five minutes to play, the Gunners were trailing against Eddie Howe’s side, but Mikel Merino and Gabriel were the saviours, and a late double ensured Mikel Arteta’s side closed the gap at the top of the Premier League table to just two points.
Speaking after the match, Gary Neville was under no illusions as to just how seismic the north Londoners’ victory could be, with the former Manchester United man insisting that Liverpool and Arsenal are the only teams that stand a chance of winning the league.
Arteta’s side may be starting to believe this is the season they can go all the way, having recruited well in the summer transfer window, strengthening the spine of the team by bringing in the likes of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Zubimendi.
However, Henry has since made it clear that one of Liverpool’s new additions has caught his eye to a greater extent in the early stages of the campaign.
As relayed by WalkOn, when asked which new Premier League arrival he’s been most impressed by, the Frenchman said: “It’s Ekitike. People will say it’s an obvious one, but credit is due – nobody thought he was going to arrive and perform like that.”
"Outstanding" Ekitike could play pivotal role in title race
Hugo Ekitike will be very frustrated that he ruled himself out of contention for Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace, after being shown a second yellow card for taking his shirt off during his celebration against Southampton.
However, the Frenchman has otherwise made a near-perfect start to life at Anfield, chipping in with five goals and one assist in all competitions.
It is not the first time Henry has singled out his compatriot for high praise, with the Arsenal legend describing the former Eintracht Frankfurt man as “outstanding” back in August, and the start he’s made to life at Anfield suggests he could play a pivotal role in the title race.
As such, Arne Slot will no doubt be pleased to have Ekitike back available for selection, despite criticising the “stupid” celebration against Southampton.