Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, only secured their place in the fourth round of the League Cup in the 85th minute when Hugo Ekitike calmly slotted the ball into an empty Southampton goal. In a burst of excitement, the usually calm French striker took off his shirt—his second yellow card of the match—which led to his sending off. Ekitike has since commented on receiving the first red card of his Liverpool career.
Alexander Isak, who was signed over the summer for a record £125 million from Newcastle United, scored his first goal for Liverpool after Federico Chiesa set him up perfectly. Southampton’s Shea Charles gave their Championship side a glimmer of hope, but Ekitike, considered one of the world’s top forwards, restored Liverpool’s lead with five minutes remaining. While Slot and his team will be happy to advance, it’s unfortunate that Ekitike will miss the upcoming match against Crystal Palace.
Ekitike has addressed his red card following the 2-1 win over Southampton. Under League Cup rules, suspensions carry over to the next match, regardless of the competition, while yellow cards only affect future League Cup games.
Already on a yellow for protesting a referee’s call, the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker’s excitement after scoring the winner led him to remove his shirt and celebrate Messi-style, holding his No. 22 jersey up to the Liverpool fans. After the match, he posted on Instagram:
“I was so excited tonight to help the team secure another win at home in my first Carabao Cup match. Emotions got the better of me. Sorry to all the Red family, thanks to the fans for their support, and to my teammates who made this win possible!”
At the time of writing, Ekitike has scored five goals in eight appearances but will miss only one game—the away trip to face Crystal Palace—before returning for the Champions League fixture against Galatasaray and the Premier League match at Chelsea on October 4, ahead of the international break.
Ekitike has been in excellent form since joining Liverpool, and his absence would have been significant if Isak hadn’t arrived on Deadline Day. Slot was frank when asked about Ekitike’s red card. “It was unnecessary, yes, and foolish. The first yellow was already somewhat needless. You have to control your emotions. I told him that if you score a goal in the Champions League final in the 87th minute after beating three defenders and hitting the top corner, I might understand. But he said, ‘It’s all about me, what did I do?’ I’m old-fashioned, 47, I never played at this level, but I scored a few goals and if I scored a goal like that, I’d have turned to Federico Chiesa and said, ‘This goal is all about you, not me.’” Andy Robertson also agreed with the manager’s view of the incident.
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