Liverpool: What Hugo Ekitike did in stoppage time speaks volumes | Football | Sport

The raw figures will show that Liverpool managed to stretch their unbeaten streak to eight matches. However, much like the 3-3 draw with Leeds a few weeks prior, this goalless encounter will feel more like a loss. How could it not? With Aston Villa, sitting in third place, easily dispatched by Arsenal and Chelsea dropping points before sacking their manager this week, Liverpool missed a golden opportunity to distance themselves from fifth place and edge closer to third.

It’s a valid question to ask when this staggeringly costly squad will start delivering more robust performances, especially now that their steady, albeit not particularly impressive or convincing, momentum has been halted. The final whistle was met with cheers from the away end, as Leeds fans celebrated what felt like a victory for Daniel Farke’s side.

The fact that they’ve managed to snatch two points from the reigning Premier League champions since their return to the top flight speaks volumes about Arne Slot’s team’s troubling inability to deliver consistent performances.

Has there even been a single display worthy of a champion this season?

Leeds were largely unchallenged in this match. Aside from a few futile penalty appeals, the Reds once again appeared to be a team struggling to balance their defensive solidity with effectiveness in the final third.

With Alexander Isak sidelined for the foreseeable future, Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations and a returning Cody Gakpo not reaching last season’s heights, the lack of genuine match-winners is a significant worry for Slot.

Hugo Ekitike has made a promising start at Liverpool, but if the French international has an off day, there seems to be little backup.

Seventeen-year-old Rio Ngumoha and the less favoured Federico Chiesa were brought on to assist, but Lucas Perri in the Leeds goal was hardly tested. With two major trips to London coming up against Fulham and league leaders Arsenal, a good December could be undone in the Reds’ quest to secure at least a top-four finish.

The first half was largely uneventful, with Liverpool dominating but lacking the necessary creativity at crucial moments in attacks. Jeremie Frimpong, reinstated to a wide forward position with Conor Bradley behind him, was the hosts’ most dangerous player, his lightning speed causing issues for Farke’s side.

Ekitike missed a golden opportunity when he bizarrely headed backwards from Frimpong’s cross, striking Leeds’ goalkeeper Perri in the head with an open goal at his mercy. It’s a moment Ekitike will want to forget, but such blunders have been rare since his summer transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Frimpong showcased his blistering pace later in the half, leaving Pascal Struijk trailing in his wake, only for Florian Wirtz to mishandle his cut-back and concede a foul trying to recover. It was that kind of match.

As the game progressed, Wirtz began to flag and it came as no surprise when Gakpo replaced him in the second half. The early momentum had fizzled out by then, and the players seemed unable to lift the mood on the terraces as the grumbles grew louder.

Their grievances were warranted.

In home matches this season against Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Wolves, and now Leeds, the champions have created just four ‘big chances’, according to Opta’s definition. This defensive focus has clearly impacted their attacking prowess, leading to a drop in entertainment value.

As we enter the second half of the season, it’s hard to pinpoint Liverpool’s style of play. Despite significant investment in reshaping a title-winning squad, this lack of clarity falls squarely on the shoulders of head coach Slot.

The Reds managed a solitary shot on target in the second half, courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai’s long-range attempt. The image of Ekitike, Slot’s only available striker, positioned wide on the right and struggling to find space to cross in the 96th minute for his waiting teammates, encapsulated their struggles.

Too often, the No. 22 strays from the areas where strikers typically thrive, an aspect of his game that requires attention as he prepares to spearhead the attack in the coming months.

While a goalless draw doesn’t spell disaster for their Champions League aspirations, the more concerning notion is that Liverpool may have already navigated their worst patch of the season and this could be their current standard of play. It’s a sobering thought for those embarking on a dry January.