Hugo Ekitike has apologised to Liverpool supporters after being sent off for removing his shirt in celebration of his late winner against Southampton in the League Cup. The French forward admitted his mistake after manager Arne Slot criticised the act as “stupid” and “needless.”
The 23-year-old striker, who joined Liverpool in July for £69 million, came on at halftime to replace record signing Alexander Isak. Isak had scored his first goal for the club earlier in the match, giving Liverpool the lead before Southampton’s Shea Charles equalised.
Ekitike had already been booked for knocking the ball away in frustration shortly after coming on. Then, in the 85th minute, he slid home Federico Chiesa’s pass to put Liverpool 2-1 ahead at Anfield. In the excitement, Ekitike ran to the corner flag, removed his shirt, and held it up for the cameras. Referee Thomas Bramall immediately issued a second yellow card, followed by a red, leaving the forward suspended for Liverpool’s upcoming Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
Ekitike expressed his regret in a social media post after the game. “I was so excited tonight to help the team achieve another victory here in our home for my first Carabao Cup match,” he wrote. “The emotion got the better of me tonight. My apologies to all the Red family.”
Manager Arne Slot, however, showed little sympathy for the young striker. Speaking after the game, he said he told Ekitike such a reaction might be understandable in a Champions League final, but not in a third-round League Cup tie. “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,’” Slot added.
The red card comes at a crucial time for Ekitike, who has made a strong start to the season with three goals in five Premier League appearances. But with Isak eager to cement his place in the starting lineup, the suspension could cost Ekitike valuable playing time in Liverpool’s competitive forward line.
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