Liverpool boss Arne Slot has blasted Hugo Ekitike for his ‘stupid’ red card against Southampton, insisting his striker should have celebrated his goal by thanking his teammate.
The Reds continued their 100 per cent start to the season on Tuesday night, making it seven wins from seven in all competitions after beating Southampton 2-1 in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Alexander Isak scored his first goal for the club just before half-time before Shay Charles equalised for the Championship side after 76 minutes.
Ekitike, brought onto replace Isak at half-time with the Sweden international’s fitness still being managed, was Liverpool’s hero again, tapping home on 86 minutes to seal his side’s place in the next round.
The French striker stripped off his shirt as he celebrated his fifth goal for his new club but was promptly shown a second yellow card and sent off by referee Thomas Bramall.
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Ekitike had already been booked after 53 minutes for dissent with a second yellow for removing his shirt sending him on his way.
The summer signing will now be suspended for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace in the Premier League – a meeting between the remaining two undefeated teams in the top flight.
Speaking after the game, Slot described Ekitike’s decision-making as ‘stupid’ and ‘needless’, believing the right thing to do would have been to highlight Federico Chiesa’s role in creating the goal.
‘I didn’t understand it,’ Slot told ITV.
‘Maybe I’m a bit old fashioned and a bit old school, but if I scored a goal after going past three men and hit it in the top corner, I would have maybe celebrated completely by myself.
‘But if I got an assist like that one from Federico Chiesa, I probably would have turned around and pointed at him like “yeah you have made this whole goal for me”.
‘So that’s why I was a little bit surprised that is how he celebrated. And even worse, took his shirt off and got his second yellow.
‘Not just because it was a second yellow but it always stupid to take your shirt off and take a yellow because if this happens somewhere in the game every time you make a foul it could be a second yellow.
‘I think if you score a goal like this, I would have gone to the guy who made the assist, but that is not so important, it’s stupid to take your shirt off.’
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