Liverpool manager Arne Slot was furious with Hugo Ekitike and describe the striker’s sending off against Southampton on Tuesday night as unnecessary.
Ekitike, 23, received his marching orders following a second yellow card, moments after netting his side’s second of the game.
The summer signing had come on at halftime for another new recruit Alexander Isak, and netted a late goal in the 86th minute, with the game poised for a draw.
He wheeled away in celebration and pulled off his shirt, earning him a second booking of the match, following an earlier caution for dissent.
Speaking after the match, Arne Slot was disappointed with the incident, as the striker is now set to miss this weekend’s crucial clash against Crystal Palace.
“It was needless and stupid,” Slot said in his post-match news conference. “The first one was already needless and to a certain extent stupid because you have to control your emotions.
“I know how hard it is when you are a No. 9 when the defender can to a certain extent do anything he likes. It’s always the best to control your emotions. If you can’t, do it in a way that doesn’t lead to a yellow card.”
Alexander Isak got off the mark and scored his first goal since completing a British-record £125 million move on transfer deadline day, with Liverpool’s first of the night.
A mistake in defense by Wataru Endo allowed Shea Charles to equalize for the visitors, but Liverpool once again proved their quality with a late winner through Ekitike.
“I told him that if you score in the Champions League final in the 87th minute after outplaying three players and hitting it in the top corner, I can maybe understand he is like: ‘This is all about me, what did I do.’ But I am old-fashioned, I’m 47 and old”, Slot added.
“I never played at this level but did score a few goals and if I scored a goal like this, I’d have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and said: ‘This goal is all about you, this is not about me.’ Needless, not smart, you call it stupid, I called it stupid right away as well.”
Liverpool aim to continue their 100% start to the season when they face Crystal Palace in the English Premier League this weekend.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
