Hugo Ekitike was Liverpool's headline act on a night of pure theatre at Anfield which was high on emotion and rich in thrilling drama, but was also played out under the shadow of allegations of racist abuse.
Ekitike might face a future fight for his place only weeks after making a £70m from Eintracht Frankfurt, with Newcastle United rebel Alexander Isak still on Liverpool's agenda - but he stated his case eloquently with a superb individual display that made him an instant hero on The Kop.
Liverpool's 4-2 win, secured with late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah, was packed with sub-plots - not all of them good.