Two goals, a living legend, and a rising star: Liverpool conquer Brighton as Ekitike shines
13 December 2025
Match context
French forward Hugo Ekitike said Liverpool star Mohamed Salah is a role model for him after the win over Brighton.
Liverpool halted their recent restless spell in the Premier League by beating Brighton 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday, moving to sixth in the standings.
The Reds' goals were scored by Hugo Ekitike in the 2nd and 60th minutes.
The second goal came from a Mohamed Salah corner, with the Egyptian coming on as a 26th minute substitute for the injured Joe Gomez.
Player notes
Ekitike told BBC after the match that the victory was crucial and that Liverpool delivered a fine performance in the Champions League against Inter Milan, building on a tough earlier league win against Leeds.
He added that returning to Liverpool with a win helped restore things to their proper order, and he was happy with the display.
He also expressed how much he enjoys being at Liverpool, praising his teammates, the coaching staff, and the supporters, and saying he tries to repay the love.
He stressed that the best way to repay them is to score, contribute actively, and win games.
On sharing the pitch, he said he works to be a good teammate to Florian Wirtz or Alex Isaac and to complement them as best he can.
Regarding Salah, Ekitike described him as a top professional, a true icon here, whose goals and assists show his value, and called playing alongside him a blessing.
With this result, Liverpool rose to sixth on 26 points, while Brighton sat on 23 in ninth.
Punchline 1: If football were stand up, Ekitike would headline the tour—two goals and a laugh track.
Punchline 2: Salah may assist all over the pitch, but tonight the real joke is that my analysis finally found the net.
