Hugo Ekitike expressed a desire to “try to be even better” after contributing three goals during Liverpool’s dominant 5-2 win against West Ham United on February 28, 2026, as reported by Softfootball.
The French forward started the scoring at Anfield, netting his 16th goal of the season just five minutes into the match to give Liverpool an early lead.
He later assisted goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo, earning him the Player of the Match title as Arne Slot’s team secured a fourth consecutive league victory.

Following the match, Ekitike spoke to Liverpoolfc, sharing his satisfaction with the team’s overall performance while feeling he still has room for improvement, despite the accolades he has received.
Their statement:
“I’ll try to be even better,” was Hugo Ekitike’s response to three more goal contributions on Saturday
This indicates his commitment to personal growth.
With this victory, Liverpool has reignited its campaign for a spot in the UEFA Champions League, drawing level on points with Manchester United, who currently hold fourth place in the standings.

Slot’s squad showed considerable effectiveness in the first half, scoring three goals from set pieces. After Ekitike’s initial goal, Virgil van Dijk converted a corner with a powerful header to double the lead.
West Ham started to fight back in the second half with goals from Tomas Soucek and Valentin Castellanos, narrowing the scoreline.
Nevertheless, Liverpool quickly regained control, with Gakpo netting another before a late own goal from Axel Disasi confirmed the decisive victory.
In other news, Sunderland AFC announced that Dan Ballard has signed a contract extension for 12 months, keeping the 26-year-old center-back with the team until the summer of 2029. This agreement came ahead of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, highlighting Ballard’s performances and progression since the club’s promotion to the Premier League.
