Hugo Ekitike Facing Heavy Fine After Red Card vs Southampton
Hugo Ekitike’s night of highs and lows against Southampton could have major consequences beyond his one-game suspension.
The French striker scored the decisive goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory at Anfield, calmly finishing after being set up by Federico Chiesa. But the 23-year-old instantly turned hero into villain when he removed his shirt and held it aloft to the Kop, earning a second yellow card and a dismissal from referee Thomas Bramall.
Ekitike had already been booked earlier for dissent, leaving manager Arne Slot furious on the touchline. After the match, Slot did not mince his words:
“If you score in the Champions League final after beating three defenders and putting it in the top corner, maybe I’d understand. But this? It was unnecessary,” the Liverpool boss told Sky Sports.
Slot added that the striker should have credited Chiesa, whose work created the chance:
“If I scored that, I’d have gone over to Federico and said, ‘This is about you, not me.’”
The suspension means Ekitike will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, but further punishment may be looming. According to the Daily Mail, the club could fine him two weeks’ wages — nearly £500,000 — for the reckless dismissal, though no official decision has yet been announced.
Ekitike addressed the incident with an Instagram apology after the match:
“I was so excited tonight to help the team secure another win at home in my first Carabao Cup match. The emotion got the better of me. My apologies to the Red family. Thanks to the fans for their support and to my teammates for the victory. #Reds.”
Liverpool advance to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Crystal Palace — though Ekitike will be absent.
