The Nation Newspaper

Tag: liverpool

  • EPL: Liverpool thrash Newcastle 4-1 as Ekitike scores twice to end winless run

    EPL: Liverpool thrash Newcastle 4-1 as Ekitike scores twice to end winless run

    Hugo Ekitike turned the game on its head to stun former suitors Newcastle United as champions Liverpool recorded their first Premier League win of 2026.

    Newcastle attempted to sign Ekitike in three transfer windows over the course of three and a half years, and how the visitors rued losing out to Liverpool in the race to recruit the lethal striker from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer.

    After scoring in the reverse fixture in August, the Frenchman came back to haunt Eddie Howe’s side once again at a buoyant Anfield with two goals in two minutes before half-time.

    Anthony Gordon had initially opened the scoring for Newcastle with a fine finish, but Liverpool quickly showed their powers of recovery to go on and win the game comfortably thanks to a devastating double from Ekitike, a well-taken goal from Florian Wirtz and a close-range finish from an emotional Ibrahima Konate.

    Read Also: EPL: Chelsea fight back from two goals down to beat West Ham 3-2

    It was Wirtz who was the architect behind the first as he danced through a crowd of black and white shirts before cutting the ball across to Ekitike to finish clinically first time at the near post.

    Ekitike was not finished yet and he latched on to Milos Kerkez’s pass down the left channel a couple of minutes later before driving into the box and firing past Nick Pope into the bottom corner to put his side in front.

    Newcastle, who have not won a league game at Anfield since 1994, understandably looked a little shell-shocked as the players trudged off at half-time – but it soon got worse for the visitors after the break.

    Although Alisson had to be alert to parry a powerful effort from Harvey Barnes, who had struck a post when the score was goalless in the first half, it was Liverpool who went on to land the final blows.

    Mohamed Salah knocked the ball into Wirtz’s path with a deft lay-off and the German forward swept the ball into the net from inside the box.

    A tearful Konate, in his first game since returning from compassionate leave following the death of his father, added a fourth following an error from Pope.

    Liverpool ended a five-game winless run in the league as Newcastle slipped to 10th in the table.

    BBC

  • EPL: Liverpool held to 1-1 draw by relegation-bound Burnley

    EPL: Liverpool held to 1-1 draw by relegation-bound Burnley

    Marcus Edwards scored a second-half equaliser as Liverpool were held to a frustrating Premier League draw by struggling Burnley at Anfield.

    Florian Wirtz gave Arne Slot’s side the lead in the first half with an emphatic strike, 10 minutes after Dominik Szoboszlai had hit the bar from the penalty spot.

    Liverpool dominated possession throughout but failed to take their chances, with the hosts having 32 shots and Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka making eight saves.

    And Edwards punished the home side with a superb finish past Alisson in the 65th minute after he was played through by Florentino Luis.

    Liverpool pushed hard for a late winner but could not find a second goal and this will go down as two points dropped against a side who are 19th in the table.

    A draw extended the Reds’ unbeaten run to 12 games in all competitions, although this was a fourth successive league draw.

    A point takes Liverpool one clear of Manchester United in fourth but Slot’s side missed the chance to cut the gap to Manchester City and Aston Villa to five points.

    Burnley remain winless in their past 13 league games but this draw would have felt like a win. The Clarets are still deep in the relegation zone but a point at Anfield could do wonders for their confidence.

  • EPL: Wirtz gets his first goal as Liverpool beat Wolves

    EPL: Wirtz gets his first goal as Liverpool beat Wolves

    Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal as they held out to beat Wolves on an emotional afternoon at Anfield as Diogo Jota was remembered by both sets of fans.

    Arne Slot’s side scored twice in two minutes through Ryan Gravenberch and Wirtz in the first half and though Wolves pulled one back through Santiago Bueno, Liverpool made it three Premier League wins in a row. Wolves remain winless in the top flight this season.

    Dinis and Duarte, Jota’s sons, were mascots for the game and came out on to the pitch alongside Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.

    Jota, who played for Liverpool and Wolves, during his time in England, was remembered again when both sets of fans sang his song in the 20th minute. Liverpool retired his shirt number ’20’ following his death in a car crash in July.

    Rob Edwards’ Wolves held firm for most of the first half until Gravenberch broke the deadlock in the 41st minute as he finished from Jeremie Frimpong’s ball.

    A minute later, Wirtz got on the end of Hugo Ektike’s delivery and slotted past Jose Sa to double Liverpool’s lead.

    The visitors had a glimmer of hope six minutes into the second half, as Bueno scored the rebound after Alisson saved Tolu Arokodare’s header from a Wolves corner.

    Edwards made three changes just after the hour mark as his side hunted for an equaliser and they came close when Arokodare headed over but Liverpool held firm to make it seven games unbeaten in all competitions.

  • UCL: Szoboszlai’s late penalty lifts Liverpool to crucial win at Inter

    UCL: Szoboszlai’s late penalty lifts Liverpool to crucial win at Inter

    Dominik Szoboszlai’s 88th-minute penalty gave Liverpool a crucial win against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

    Much of the build-up to the clash was dominated by the exclusion of Mohamed Salah from the Reds squad after he claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus” and his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down.

    And with the Egypt forward left back in Liverpool, Szoboszlai stepped up to take the decisive late spot-kick after Alessandro Bastoni was adjudged, following a video assistant referee (VAR) check, to have tugged at the shirt of Florian Wirtz in the box.

    Inter keeper Yann Sommer dived the right way, but the power of the penalty proved too much and Liverpool held on for a welcome three points after a turbulent few days at the club.

    After a worrying run of nine defeats in 12 games, Slot’s side are now unbeaten in four.

    The Reds have 12 points from their six Champions League ties and victory here propelled them into the top eight of the league phase, where automatic qualification to the last 16 is guaranteed.

    Read Also: UCL: Chelsea suffer setback as Atalanta take all three points

    Inter dropped down to fifth, on the same points tally, as they suffered a first home defeat in 19 matches in the competition – since February 2022.

    Liverpool thought they had taken a 32nd-minute lead when Ibrahima Konate headed in from a corner.

    But referee Felix Zwayer disallowed the goal after a lengthy VAR check as the ball struck the arm of striker Hugo Ekitike before the ball found Konate to nod in from close range.

    Curtis Jones, Szoboszlai and Ekitike all forced Sommer to make saves in an opening half where Inter lost Piotr Zielinski and Yann Aurel Bisseck to injuries.

    The disallowed goal seemed to spark the hosts and Nicolo Barella came close as his free-kick went narrowly wide, before Lautaro Martinez’s header was kept out by Alisson Becker.

    The game looked to be heading towards a goalless draw which would have been a first under Slot’s tenure, but Wirtz – who replaced Alexander Isak in the 68th minute – made the most of Bastoni’s pull.

    Szoboszlai’s calm finish for his second goal in successive games ensured that, for the fourth time in four years, Liverpool would be leaving the San Siro with success.

    BBC

  • EPL: Isak, Gakpo fire Liverpool past West Ham

    EPL: Isak, Gakpo fire Liverpool past West Ham

    Second-half strikes from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo handed Liverpool a 2–0 victory over West Ham United in Sunday’s Premier League encounter.

    Isak, who arrived from Newcastle United in the summer, registered his first league goals for the club, helping the Reds snap a run of three straight defeats.

    The breakthrough came on the hour mark when Isak calmly finished a low delivery from the left. West Ham’s task became even harder six minutes from time as Lucas Paquetá was sent off for dissent, leaving the hosts to finish the match with 10 men.

    Read Also: UCL: Isak set for Liverpool debut against Atletico

    Liverpool took full advantage in stoppage time, with Gakpo chesting down a cross before drilling home to seal the points in the 92nd minute.

    The win lifts Arne Slot’s side to eighth place on 21 points.

    Elsewhere, at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest were unable to replicate last week’s impressive showing at Anfield, falling 2–0 to Brighton. Nigerian duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi missed out through injury.

  • Egypt FA await Liverpool, over availability of Salah for Nigeria friendly

    Egypt FA await Liverpool, over availability of Salah for Nigeria friendly

    The Egyptian Football Association is awaiting official responses from Liverpool and Manchester City regarding the availability of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush for the Pharaohs’ upcoming friendly against Nigeria, according to Filgoal.

    The Pharaohs, who are the most successful team in the history of the Afcon, will face Nigeria in a friendly match on December 14 at Cairo Stadium as part of their preparations for the tournament in Morocco.

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    Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has entrusted the matter entirely to EFA President Hani Abu Rida, who has already initiated contact with the two Premier League clubs in an effort to secure the players’ release for the friendly match with the Super Eagles, but no formal replies have been received so far. A key point of contention remains whether Salah and Marmoush can realistically participate in the Nigeria friendly, given the fixture congestion both clubs face.

  • Slot vows to ‘keep fighting’ as Liverpool’s crisis deepens

    Slot vows to ‘keep fighting’ as Liverpool’s crisis deepens

    Arne Slot has vowed to “keep fighting”, saying his conversations with Liverpool’s owners have not changed despite his team’s deep slump.

    The Premier League champions were hammered 4-1 at Anfield by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday – their ninth defeat in their past 12 matches in all competitions.

    The stands emptied as frustrated fans quit the ground in droves in the latter stages of the match.

    It is the worst run of form for the 20-time English champions in more than 70 years.

    Now Liverpool face a trip to rejuvenated West Ham on Sunday, desperate to improve on their position of 12thc place in the Premier League table.

    Slot, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last season in his first campaign in charge, said in the aftermath of Wednesday’s defeat he was confident his job was safe.

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    He held a press conference yesterday, previewing Sunday’s game at West Ham, who look a different side under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

    The Liverpool boss was asked at the start of the press conference whether he has spoken to the club’s owners since the PSV game.

    “We’ve had the same conversations since I’ve been here,” he said. “We fight on. And we try to improve, that’s what we all try. But the conversations have been the same as they’ve been for the past one and a half years.”

    The Dutchman admitted Liverpool’s standards had slipped but insisted he did not feel let down by his players.

    “We think we can play better than we do,” he said.

    “But last season, when we did really well, there was a lot of focus on certain individuals and I always said it should be about the team, and the team makes the individuals look very good.

    “And if the opposite is happening, we should also look at the team and not at the individuals.”

    Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard added to the pressure on Slot with a damning verdict on their plight following the PSV loss – their second in five Champions league matches.

     “With each defeat it gets closer to being a crisis,” Gerrard told TNT Sports. “There is no excuses for a performance like that at this football club. You cannot deny the team is struggling massively.”

    But Slot said it was not easy to come up with answers, admitting that his sleep was “not the best” after Wednesday’s damaging defeat.

    He said his team were failing to make the most of their chances while their mistakes were routinely being punished.

     “We get knock after knock after knock, which is hard,” he said. “That’s why I keep saying that, especially when that happens, we have to keep fighting.

    “And that’s what we’ve done so well last season, what this club is about for so many years. And that’s what we expect.”

    Slot said he expected Alisson Becker to be available to face West Ham after the goalkeeper missed the PSV match with illness and that Florian Wirtz could be back in training on Saturday.

  • Liverpool suffer defeat against PSV as Pressure Mounts on Slot

    Liverpool suffer defeat against PSV as Pressure Mounts on Slot

    The ragged Reds have now lost nine of their last 12 matches across all competitions after being dismantled by PSV at Anfield.

    Arne Slot’s domestic troubles are no secret, entering this fixture on the back of consecutive three-goal defeats. Yet the Champions League had previously offered some relief for the under-fire manager and his struggling squad.

    Three wins from four, including an impressive victory over Real Madrid, had placed Liverpool in a strong position in the league phase. But this latest defeat has intensified scrutiny on Slot, sparking serious questions about the team’s direction and how he plans to arrest the slide.

    The visitors struck first after just six minutes when Virgil van Dijk inexplicably raised his arm while appealing for a foul, instead conceding a penalty for handball. Ivan Perisic stepped up and converted with ease.

    Liverpool responded swiftly. Ten minutes later, Dominic Szoboszlai levelled the score, reacting quickest when Matej Kovár parried Cody Gakpo’s shot straight into his path for a simple finish.

    Read Also: PSG, Barcelona renew interest in Osimhen, agent confirms

    In dire need of a turnaround, Liverpool showed signs of improvement as Gakpo went close and van Dijk thundered a header against the bar. But the Dutch league leaders reclaimed the lead when Mauro Junior split the defence with a superb pass, leaving Milos Kerkez helpless as Guus Til slotted home.

    The hosts’ evening worsened when substitute Couhaib Driouech pounced on the rebound from Ricardo Pepi’s effort, sparking jubilation among the travelling supporters. The Moroccan forward then added his second in stoppage time, finishing low into the corner after a rapid move.

    The victory— their first over an English club since defeating Tottenham in the 2008 Europa League—lifted the visitors to 15th in the standings. Liverpool, meanwhile, slipped to 13th and must find an immediate response as the battle for a top-eight place intensifies.

  • Superb Forest embarrass Liverpool at Anfield

    Superb Forest embarrass Liverpool at Anfield

    Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

    Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.

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    Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.

    Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.

  • Forest embarrass champions Liverpool at Anfield

    Forest embarrass champions Liverpool at Anfield

    Liverpool’s season of abject misery worsened as they were beaten with embarrassing ease by a hugely impressive Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

    Arne Slot’s Premier League champions were looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at Manchester City, but instead ran into a Forest side revitalised under new manager Sean Dyche and looking back to their best.

    Liverpool head coach Slot gave £125m British record signing Alexander Isak a start, but he was totally anonymous once more and only lasted 67 minutes.

    Forest went ahead after 33 minutes when defender Murillo shot powerfully past fit-again Liverpool keeper Alisson to subdue an already anxious Anfield.

    Igor Jesus had a second ruled out for handball, but Forest doubled their advantage 47 seconds after the break when former Liverpool defender Neco Williams set up Nicola Savona for a crisp finish in front of The Kop.

    Liverpool could barely raise a response in a desperate display, Forest increasing their lead 12 minutes from time when Morgan Gibbs-White scored after Alisson saved from Omari Hutchinson.

    It means Liverpool have now lost six of their past seven Premier League games as Slot’s near £450m summer spending spree comes under further scrutiny.