Slot criticizes Ekitike’s “stupid” red card: Sensitive loss for Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has called Hugo Ekitike’s red card against Southampton “unnecessary and stupid.” The striker is now suspended for this weekend’s clash against Crystal Palace. Ekitike, who came off the bench to score the winning goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory in the Carabao Cup at Anfield, received a second yellow card for taking off his shirt during the celebrations. The 23-year-old player had already been cautioned for protesting and, as a result, will miss Saturday’s match at Selhurst Park.

It was unnecessary and stupid. The first one was already unnecessary and, to some extent, stupid because you have to control your emotions.

Arne Slot

Slot also commented on the difficulty of controlling emotions on the field, especially for a striker. The coach added that, while he understands the excitement of scoring an important goal, it is crucial to avoid actions that could result in a yellow card.

Liverpool also suffered a setback when defender Giovanni Leoni suffered an injury at the end of the second half. The 18-year-old, who arrived at the club from Parma in the summer, had impressed in his debut against Southampton. Slot explained that Leoni’s injury needs to be evaluated and that they will wait until the next day to determine the severity, possibly with an MRI. Alexander Isak opened the scoring on Tuesday with his first goal for his new club, securing Liverpool’s passage to the fourth round.