"He is that guy", "Don't need Isak" - Fans praise Liverpool star for his 'class performance' in 4-2 win against Bournemouth

Liverpool fans on X have waxed lyrical about Hugo Ekitike after he had an outstanding performance on his Premier League debut during their 4-2 win over Bournemouth. The two sides locked horns at Anfield on Friday, August 15.

Days after scoring on his Liverpool debut during their FA Community Shield final loss against Crystal Palace, Ekitike was entrusted to lead the line against Bournemouth. The Frenchman made an instant impact in the 37th minute, getting past Marcos Senesi before accurately placing the ball into the bottom-right corner to break the deadlock.

Ekitike then deftly teed up Cody Gakpo in the 49th minute, enabling the Dutchman to fire home, doubling their advantage. Bournemouth took full advantage of the hosts' shaky defense soon after, with Antoine Semenyo netting a brilliant brace (64', 76'). Fortunately for the Reds, Federico Chiesa (88') and Mohamed Salah (90+4') scored one goal apiece to ensure they secured all three points in their thrilling Premier League opener.

Fans were left impressed by Ekitike providing two goal contributions on his league debut, with one claiming they no longer need Alexander Isak:

"Liverpool don’t need Isak, Ekitike is that guy bro."

Another fan tweeted:

"Class performance by EKITIKE"

Other fans reacted below:

"Ekitike is scary. Crazy thing is he’s not even done building this squad," one fan commented

"Also, Ekitike is a serious buy. We cooked," another added

"After playing 2 seasons with Messi, this kid became a monster!" one fan insisted

"Had a good game, link up was good and nice playmaking," another chimed in

"I thought Ekitike showed great potential. His movement and awareness were impressive for a debut," one fan typed

How did Liverpool fare during their 4-2 win over Bournemouth?

Despite giving up a two-goal lead, Liverpool showed great resilience to defeat Bournemouth 4-2 to kick off the 2025-26 Premier League season. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams fared.

The Reds dominated possession with 61 percent of the ball, completing 386 passes with an accuracy of 83 percent. Meanwhile, Bournemouth had 39 percent possession and completed 204 passes with an accuracy of 71 percent.

Liverpool were more threatening going forward as well, landing 19 shots in total, with 10 being on target (xG of 2.15). In comparison, the Cherries mustered 10 shots in total, with three being on target (xG of 1.63).

Disclaimer: The above stats were taken from FotMob on August 16, 2025, at 3 AM IST. They are subject to change.

About the author

Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.

Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.

Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.

Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.

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Edited by Silas Sud