Arne Slot believes Hugo Ekitike’s run of five goals in four matches indicates the striker has heeded the Liverpool manager’s advice when it comes to improving his fitness. Ekitike only managed three goals in his next 17 matches as the British record signing struggled to get to grips with the repeated demands of English football. Slot believes much of Ekitike’s recent progress can be attributed to better physical condition, although the Dutch boss said he had to convince the forward that such work was needed. “He showed a lot of hard work to get to this fitness level where he is at the moment,” Slot said ahead of Saturday’s match at home to basement club Wolves. “I also think we have been a bit more lucky than in the games before because we have played games where we were so much better than the other teams.

Source: The Guardian December 26, 2025 19:41 UTC