Over the summer, Liverpool spent a fortune on new arrivals in the form of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
All of these players have had lows of their own at some point during the season, while others have also experienced some highs.
However, as we have crossed the halfway point of the 2025/26 season, it is Wirtz and Ekitike that have found purple patches of form and are now consistently showcasing why the Reds were so eager to splash all the cash over the summer.
Let's take a look at how both players have been able to settle in at Anfield and are now two of the leading names on the lineup sheet for every big match.
Hugo taking Isak's role
Were it not for a prolonged transfer saga that saw him miss the entire preseason and lose fitness, it very well could have been Alexander Isak as the in-form Liverpool striker at this point of the season.
In fact, many questioned the viability of signing both Ekitike and Isak at such astronomical costs to the club.
Yet, the gifted Frenchman has done nothing but perform at almost every step of the way. He began by scoring in the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace and again on Matchday 1 of the Premier League season.
Following his brace on Saturday in Liverpool's 4-1 win over Newcastle, he is now up to 15 goals and 4 assists across all competitions this season. He's now hit double digits in the league as well.
In his last 11 appearances, dating back to the beginning of December, Ekitike has bagged eight goals to go with two assists. He's been able to showcase his versatility on many occasions.
He is very inventive on the ball, and his ability to operate in tight spaces belies a player of his stature, as he can twist and turn to get shots away or set others up, when other forwards would normally be trapped by the defense.
His burgeoning connection with the aforementioned Wirtz, where both players regularly play intricate 1-2's with each other, has allowed him to hit a new level as well.
Isak was seen as the all-purpose forward that would be leading the line, and that still might happen one day. But for now, Hugo has taken the reigns and does not look like letting them go anytime soon.
He has underrated pace, both on and off the ball, and always finds himself in scoring areas on the pitch. The confidence is now flowing through him and we are getting close to a point where we will start expecting a goal every time he starts a match.
Arne Slot was desperate for a forward that could lead from the front, and the energy, pressing, clinical finishing and technical prowess shown from Ekitike have more than justified his £79m fee.
Wirtz finally unleashing his magic
A lot of the criticism this season regarding Liverpool's new arrivals fell on the shoulders of the German maestro. Isak had lack of fitness and injuries as an excuse, while the others are either still developing, or did not command the £110+ million fee that Wirtz did.
Having said that, while he went through a very public stretch without recording a goal or assist, I felt like he was still playing pretty good football.
There were several times where he could have, and probably should have, recorded several more assists, but was let down by woeful or inconsistent finishing from his peers.
Yet, when you pay that much money on of the most influential attacking midfielders in the world, you want to see numbers. At last, those numbers are finally rolling in for Wirtz. He has 6 goals along with 3 assists across his last 11 appearances for the Reds.
We are seeing the dynamic and clinical dynamo that carried Bayer Leverkusen to an "Invincible" Bundesliga season.
The entire Liverpool attack now flows through our No. 7, as he is the lynchpin of the whole operation. While many times he may not record an assist, it has been his pass to the assister that has truly unlocked the attacking move.
His beautiful give and go with Mohamed Salah for his goal against Newcastle showcased his vision, touch, positional aptitude and of course, technical finishing ability all in one fluid motion.
He is now taking on the mantle of our most important attacker, and the club is better off for it. His emergence from his G/A doldrums has been long awaited, and now that it's here, it looks he is just getting started.
Slot and his staff have the magician they hoped they would. Now it's time to enjoy the show.