Hugo Ekitike's Shocking Red Card Leaves Fans Stunned in Bizarre On-Field Moment
Liverpool advanced to the subsequent stage of the Carabao Cup courtesy of Hugo Ekitiké, though they were forced to complete the match without their goal scorer following two avoidable yellow card offenses.
Alexander Isak received the starting opportunity and netted his inaugural Liverpool strike to give the Reds the lead against Southampton at Anfield. The Reds applied effective pressure to force their opponents into a crucial mistake as Federico Chiesa located the Swedish striker, who then beat Alex McCarthy. This goal proved to be among his last contributions as Isak was substituted at halftime for Ekitiké.
The ex-Eintracht Frankfurt player received his initial yellow card merely eight minutes following his introduction for arguing with the referee. When Southampton leveled the score in the 76th minute, Ekitiké rose to the occasion and clinched the victory in the 85th minute. However, a lapse in judgment followed after his goal.
Ekitiké pulled off his jersey and displayed his name and number to the supporters—perhaps to signal to fans that he won't allow Isak to claim the starting position without a fight, to mirror Lionel Messi's celebration, or simply to emphasize another crucial late winner so early in the campaign.
However, many probably shared Jeremie Frimpong's reaction as he approached with a bewildered expression, understanding what would happen next.
Ekitiké was immediately issued a second yellow card by referee Thomas Bramall, resulting in his ejection. Liverpool were compelled to finish the remaining minutes with ten players as Ekitiké will now be suspended for the Crystal Palace match this weekend. Only he knows his real motivation behind the gesture, but it represents one of the most avoidable dismissals a player can receive—dissent and shirt removal.
Considerable attention has focused on how Arne Slot maximizes the potential of two high-profile center forward acquisitions—Ekitiké arrived initially and had an impressive beginning to his Merseyside career, while Isak was among the premier strikers globally last season. This represents a positive dilemma given Liverpool's ambitions to not only retain their Premier League crown but capture additional trophies both domestically and internationally.
Nevertheless, regardless of the match's conclusion, the prevailing pattern shows Liverpool maintaining a flawless record through seven fixtures across all competitions to start 2025–26. They will discover their next Carabao Cup adversary on Wednesday as they aim to return to Wembley Stadium later this season.