Welcome to The Debrief. In his Sky Sports column, Adam Bate combines data and opinion to examine the key stories from the latest Premier League matches. this week:
Ekitike’s sprint stats are on the rise Saka’s important passes Waltemaid isolated at the front
Ekitique impressions and improvements
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Brighton
Hugo Ekitike scored twice for Liverpool in their 2-0 win over Brighton, taking his total for the Premier League season to seven. Only Erling Haaland has scored more goals from open play situations than the summer signing from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Mohamed Salah’s impressive return to the team as a substitute was the talk of the game at Anfield on Saturday, but Ekitike’s contribution highlighted his growing influence. His seven shots and 12 touches in the box were both Premier League highs at the weekend.
Hugo Ekitike suffered a cramp late in the match between Liverpool and Brighton.
As mentioned later by Arne Slott, he himself was substituted shortly after he appeared to be suffering from cramps. “I can tell you he probably performed twice as well as he did in the first game of the season when I had to take him out with cramps.”
Ekitike’s sprint statistics emphasize that point. According to Opta, he performed 25 high-intensity sprints against Brighton. This was his most in a Premier League appearance, breaking the previous record of 24 goals he had set in the previous game against Leeds.
“He has more and more energy to keep running with and without the ball,” Slott explained. That’s part of the reason why the Anfield crowd instantly fell in love with him and regularly chant his name. Ekitike’s driving runs and all-round play attract attention.
The contrast with striker Alexander Isak, who broke the British transfer record shortly after Liverpool signed Ekitike, is fascinating. Not only has Ekitike outperformed Isaac, but he has also looked like the better player in every aspect of the attack so far.
Hugo Ekitike has had a better start at Liverpool than Alexander Isak
Perhaps most satisfying for Liverpool, he found the back of the net seven times from chances expected to produce an average of 4.24 goals, exceeding his expected goal total. It’s interesting that Ekitike’s finish in Frankfurt was a red flag last season.
However, his reputation for waste was identified by Liverpool as a reason to believe he was undervalued. It is already clear that there is significant room for improvement in his game, and Isak now faces a battle to prove himself as the team’s first-choice striker.
Even though the Swede is still finding his form, the difference between his shot output and expected goals is not that big, and the numbers may eventually swing in his favor. But for now, it is Ekitike who has seized the opportunity. Isaac is playing catch-up in every sense of the word.
Saka’s cross was decisive for Arsenal
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Wolves
Arsenal’s 94th-minute winner against bottom club Wolves on Saturday night was a stroke of luck, considering it was an own goal from Jelson Mosquera. However, it wasn’t all that surprising given that the goal came from a cross from Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal’s first goal had some similarities – goalkeeper Sam Johnstone deflecting Saka’s corner into his own goal. Fantasy football players were celebrating Saka’s two assists, but both were own goals and technically do not count towards Saka’s Opta assist total.
Arsenal’s attack focused on Bukayo Saka’s wing in victory over Wolves
That doesn’t change the fact that the Gunners rely heavily on his creative ability. Gabriel Martinelli had two of the team’s best chances, but most of his attacks came from the right, particularly Saka’s regular flow of crosses into the box.
His total of five successful crosses in open play was the most in a Premier League weekend so far, with no other player completing more than two. No wonder Wolves manager Rob Edwards bemoaned Fer Lopez’s failure to prevent the final ball from reaching the penalty area.
“Stop the cross, protect the cross,” Edwards said afterward. “We’ve done almost 100 minutes. We’ll do it for the last little bit. We can get something out of the game.” That will definitely be a concern for Arsenal. But it is clear that stopping Saka is easier said than done.
Newcastle woes for Waltemade
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Highlights of the Premier League match between Sunderland and Newcastle.
It was a privilege to be at the Stadium of Light to witness the return of one of English football’s great games to the Premier League. Nick Woltemade must not have had much fun as it was an own goal that decided the game in Sunderland’s favor.
The German would have dreamed of scoring in the back of the net and being serenaded by the supporters from the field. Unfortunately, it was his team’s net and Sunderland supporters. The long-term concern was that he would have no influence over his opponents.
Newcastle were very poor and the support for their only striker was never enough. Despite being on the pitch for another 30 minutes before being substituted, Voltemade completed just two passes in the game, and none after his own goal.
Nick Waltemade’s touch map during Newcastle’s loss to Sunderland
Eddie Howe later suggested that the purpose was to keep it tight. “Our plan in the first half was to be solid and compact.” But that meant Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon were operating very deep, with Waltemade cutting hopelessly isolated figures throughout.
He could not escape responsibility. His hold-up success rate this season has been below 50 percent despite his bulk, and while Gordon only had one bright chance to play in the first half, the game could have been completely different if he had shown better awareness.
Newcastle’s Nick Waltemaide gets chance to play with Anthony Gordon (circled)
Howe also pointed to fatigue as a possible explanation for Woltemade’s performance, as Ioan Wissa was unable to share the load and had to carry the load up front. He has started every Premier League game since joining from Stuttgart.
But Woltemade’s record of just one goal in his last 10 games for Newcastle shows why Wissa’s return can’t happen soon. It also suggests Howe may need to tweak his system to get the most out of players who need better structure around them.
