Ekitike Brace and Wirtz Masterclass Power Liverpool to 4–1 Win Over Newcastle

Liverpool delivered a commanding display at Anfield as Hugo Ekitike’s brace and a Florian Wirtz masterclass sealed a convincing 4–1 Premier League victory over Newcastle United.

The visitors started with real intent. Eddie Howe’s side pressed aggressively in a man-to-man system, forcing Liverpool into early errors and disrupting their rhythm. Newcastle looked sharper in the opening exchanges and their pressure was rewarded on the counter-attack.

Boyhood Liverpool supporter Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, showing excellent composure on the right side of the box before drilling a low finish past Alisson into the side netting. It was Gordon’s first open-play Premier League goal in over a year and briefly gave Newcastle belief.

Liverpool, however, responded with authority.

The equaliser arrived through Hugo Ekitike, following superb close control from Florian Wirtz. The German midfielder danced through midfield pressure before slipping the ball into Ekitike’s path, allowing the striker to finish confidently at the near post.

Moments later, the duo struck again. A precise pass down the channel from Milos Kerkez released Ekitike, who shrugged off Thiaw and guided a sublime outside-of-the-foot finish into the far corner.

The goal underlined the growing chemistry between Ekitike and Wirtz, who have now combined for six goals across all competitions this season more than any other Premier League partnership.

Liverpool carried that momentum into the second half. Within minutes of the restart, a costly error from Dan Burn almost gifted Ekitike a hat-trick, but the Frenchman’s effort drifted just wide.

The third goal soon followed. Mohamed Salah surged forward before laying the ball off to Wirtz, who curled a composed finish into the far corner in front of the Kop. The strike capped a dominant performance and marked Wirtz’s ninth goal contribution in his last 11 matches across all competitions for Liverpool.

Newcastle struggled to recover as Liverpool controlled possession and territory, limiting the visitors’ attacking threat. Deep into stoppage time, the hosts added a fourth when Ibrahima Konaté capitalised on a loose clearance from a corner to score.

The goal sparked emotional celebrations, with teammates rallying around the defender following the recent loss of his father.

The victory lifts Liverpool up to fifth in the Premier League table, just one point off the top four, keeping their Champions League qualification hopes firmly alive. Newcastle, meanwhile, remain winless in their last three league matches, with their early promise undone by defensive lapses and Liverpool’s attacking quality.