Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike attracts fine after Southampton sending-off

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike stands set to face disciplinary action after his needless red card in the Carabao Cup victory over Southampton earlier this week. The Frenchman, coming off to score what turned out to be the winner, saw himself dismissed moments later for removing his shirt in celebration, earning a second yellow card.

Ekitike had been introduced in the second half as a replacement for fellow summer signing Alexander Isak, who opened the scoring at Anfield. Southampton responded with an equaliser to make it 1–1, before Ekitike struck in the 85th minute to restore Liverpool’s lead. His joy quickly turned into frustration, however, as his overzealous celebration left the referee with no choice but to send him off.

Manager Arne Slot didn’t hide his anger either. He slammed the forward’s decision-making and called the incident “stupid.” For a player still trying to cement his place in the squad, it was the worst possible way to follow up such a big moment.

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool won’t let the matter slide. The club shall fine Ekitike two weeks’ wages on top of his suspension. For Slot, it’s about setting standards, and he made clear he won’t tolerate lapses in discipline, no matter how important the player or the goal. Docking off of two-weeks worth of wages is stern, and that would ensure discipline wise, the Reds never take foot off the gas.

“I told him as well and I said it to numerous media already, if you score in a Champions League final in the 87th minute after outplaying three players and hitting it in the top corner, I can maybe understand that you’re like, ‘This is all about me, what did I do?’ But I am old-fashioned, I’m 47 and old maybe.”

Red Card for a Brand New Red!

From a fan perspective, it’s maddening. Ekitike had everything set up for a dream debut goal to swing momentum his way, but he turned it into a talking point for the wrong reasons. Such a good start to his career on Merseyside, things going very well for him, and yet, there seems to be a “stupid” roadblock in his initial days at the club.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has five goals and an assist in eight appearances across all competitions so far, and Crystal Palace would have been a good opportunity for him to continue to rise and shine through the ranks of the Premier League. But now, Arne Slot has to look towards other strikers to fill the void that his absence will leave behind.

“But it’s always the best to control your emotions, and if you cannot control your emotions do it in a way that doesn’t lead to a yellow card. I think I said when I got my red card against Everton [last season], that is always stupid because you can show your emotions but if it leads to a yellow or a red card then it’s stupid. And that’s what happened in the first yellow.”

Still, there’s a chance to put things right. Ekitike showed he can make an impact when Liverpool needed it most; now he must prove he can channel that energy without letting emotions take control. If he learns quickly, this incident will fade into memory. If not, it could define his start at Anfield. We all know how Bobby Firmino was reprimanded for his celebrations during his early days at Liverpool, but we remember him for his goals and not cards.