Hugo Ekitike scored Liverpool's winning goal against Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday but has been criticised after being sent off for his celebration at Anfield
Hugo Ekitike has been accused of feeling the pressure at Liverpool as Alexander Isak begins to make his way into Arne Slot’s side. The 23-year-old has been an instant success at Anfield but was sent off after celebrating his fifth goal for the Reds on Tuesday.
Liverpool hosted Southampton in the Carabao Cup and took the lead through Isak, marking his first goal for the club since his £125million move from Newcastle United. Southampton scored a second half equaliser but Ekitike decided the tie in the 85th minute after being left with a simple finish by Federico Chiesa, before removing his shirt during his celebration and subsequently receiving a second yellow card.
While the victory should have been viewed as a warning sign to their rivals, with both Isak and Ekitike scoring, Ekitike’s red card slightly soured the win. Ekitike’s celebration was branded “stupid” by Liverpool boss Slot and the striker, who is now suspended for the Reds’ next game against Crystal Palace, has since issued an apology on social media.
However, former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood believes Ekitike’s actions were caused by the pressure of Isak potentially taking his place in the team.
"Can you believe it? Can you believe it? He takes a second yellow card for that?" Sherwood told Sky Sports. "I'd be fuming if I was Arne Slot. What is he thinking? He must know the rule.
"I think it's the pressure of Isak being there, the noise around it. He's letting everyone know that I am here. We know he's done really well, he's a real threat.
"That's his fifth goal of the season. He can't do any more than he's doing. We all know your name!
"There's absolutely no need to show that. Liverpool fans appreciate what he's doing. Now he's not going to play and whether Isak is ready to play or not. Ekitike has let himself down."
The former Eintracht Frankfurt forward scored his first Liverpool goal in the Community Shield and had notched three goals in five Premier League games before facing Southampton in the Carabao Cup. Following his second yellow card, Ekitike issued an apology to Reds fans on his Instagram story.
"I was so excited tonight to help the team achieve another victory here in our home for my first Carabao Cup match... The emotion got the better of me tonight," he wrote. "My apologies to all the Red family. Thanks to the fans who always support as and to my teammates for secured this victory! #Reds."
Ekitike had been named on the bench for the cup tie and replaced Isak at half-time, who was making his second start for the club. However, his subsequent red card has left Liverpool in a tricky situation, given Isak's lack of pre-season before arriving at Anfield. Liverpool boss Slot was brutally honest when asked about Ekitike’s two yellow cards.
"The first one (yellow card) was already needless and to a certain extent stupid because you have to control your emotions, and I know how hard it is if you play in the Premier League and you are a number nine then the defender can almost do everything he wants, and when you push him a little bit you get a free-kick against you," Slot said.
"But it is always the best to control your emotions, and if you can't then do it in a way that doesn't lead to a yellow card. So I think I said when I got my red card against Everton that's always stupid because you can show your emotions but if it leads to a yellow or red then it's, to a certain extent, stupid.
"Then I told him that if you score in a Champions League final in the 87th minute after beating three players and hitting it in the top corner I can maybe understand you say 'it's all about me', but I'm old fashioned, I'm 47, I''m old, and I haven't played at this level but I did score a few goals, and if I scored a goal like this I would have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and say 'this goal is all about you, this is not about me.'
"So yeah, needless, not smart, you call it stupid and I call it stupid."