The moment was quickly soured as the Frenchman, who was already on a booking for a foul early in the second half, was shown a red card after taking off his shirt in celebration.
That left Liverpool to see out the final four minutes plus stoppage time with ten men and head coach Arne Slot was far from impressed with Ekitike’s actions.
“Maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned but I did score a few goals – not at his level, but I did – and if I went past three players and put it in the top corner then maybe you can say: ‘This is all about me.’
“But if I scored a goal like he did tonight, I would turn to Chiesa and say: ‘It’s about you Federico – great assist, great run and I didn’t have to do a lot.’ Maybe that’s me being old-school.
“It was stupid, not smart in every sense. The good thing is that his team-mates helped him to get the win over the line.”
Ultimately Ekitike’s punishment for being sent-off against the Saints was a suspension.
Sent-off: Hugo Ekitike
REUTERS
Can Hugo Ekitike play in Carabao Cup after red card?
Yes. Ekitike is free to play against Palace having already served his one-match ban – ironically against the Eagles in the Premier League loss that started Liverpool’s poor run of form.
The Reds’ only victory in their last five games across all competitions was the 5-1 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt in the league phase of the Champions League last week.
