Liverpool 4-1 Newcastle: Hugo Equitiki compared to Fernando Torres as he haunts his former Newcastle fans

There was silence at Anfield as Anthony Gordon looked at the mug and pointed defiantly at his ear.

The Newcastle United striker put his team ahead against Liverpool with a well-placed goal in the 36th minute.

There was plenty of time left.

But were Liverpool about to lose a Premier League match to the visitors at home for the first time since 1994?

Was the champions’ winless run in the Premier League about to extend to six games?

Not if Hugo Ekitiki had anything to do with it.

The French striker equalized for his side with a well-placed shot, then put them ahead with a second quick strike just before half-time, much to the delight of coach Arne Slott.

“The fans love him,” Slott said after his team’s 4-1 win. “From the beginning, everyone could see how special he was, how fast he was.”

It was the kind of finish that Newcastle’s scouting team had seen often of, having tried to sign Ekitiki, 23, on three separate occasions – including last summer.

Even coach Eddie Howe couldn’t help but raise his hands.

“Sometimes you have to acknowledge the player facing you while also acknowledging that we could have defended better,” he said.

“Ekitiki is a great player and I saw that today. He has a little bit of everything and that is his biggest strength. He is tall, fast and can finish.”