Dream Debuts as Ekitike and Wirtz Fire Liverpool Ahead in Community Shield

Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz made brilliant starts to their Liverpool careers. They combined for a goal just four minutes into their official debuts against Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool started the new season strong. In the first five minutes of the Community Shield, new French forward Hugo Ekitike scored. He finished a clever pass after a quick one-two with Florian Wirtz, who was also making his debut. Ekitike got past Adam Wharton and Chris Richards, then curved his shot into the far corner past Dean Henderson. This quick goal was a delight to Reds fans. It reminded many of Darwin Nunez’s debut goal in the same event three years ago. It showed Ekitike’s exciting start. Both players joined the team this summer, with Ekitike being signed for up to €95 million from Eintracht Frankfurt, and started under new coach Arne Slot.

LIVERPOOL’S CHANGES AND EXPECTATIONS

This season is a new chapter for Liverpool with Arne Slot as the coach. He took over after Jurgen Klopp left in May ’24. Liverpool finished as winners in the Premier League last season, ten points ahead of Arsenal and will want to claim the league title two years in a row. The addition of Ekitike and Wirtz is seen as a significant move to inject young talent and creativity into the squad. Ekitike, who moved from Frankfurt, aims to make a fresh start, while Wirtz is recognized as one of Europe’s best young playmakers, having made a name for himself at Bayer Leverkusen.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Liverpool’s next match is their Premier League opener against Bournemouth at Anfield. Bournemouth, who finished mid-table last season, have lost important players and will want to start strong to avoid a fight against relegation. With the season just starting, fans will be watching to see if Ekitike and Wirtz can maintain their strong performances. Crystal Palace, who have just won the Community Shield, finished 12th last season and will look to build on that as they prepare to play Chelsea in their league opener.