Liverpool: Arne Slot slams Hugo Ekitike

Europe 23 September 2025 at 20:06

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI

News Editor

Liverpool booked their ticket to the League Cup round of 16 with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Southampton. The hero of the night, Hugo Ekitike, netted the decisive goal in the 85th minute, finishing off a perfect assist from Federico Chiesa. But his Lionel Messi-style celebration—holding his shirt aloft in front of the Kop—quickly turned triumph into disaster. Already on a yellow card, the French striker was shown a second booking and sent off, his saviour status instantly flipping to scapegoat.

Slot furious after the sending-off

In the post-match press conference, Arne Slot didn’t hide his frustration. “I don’t understand,” said the Dutch coach. “If I had scored after such an assist, I would have gone to thank the provider, not taken off my shirt.” He finished bluntly: “It’s stupid to take your shirt off and get a yellow card.” These words reflect the frustration of a manager who, until then, saw Ekitike as one of the early revelations of the season (3 goals and 1 assist in the league).

Also read: Diego Simeone loses his cool at Anfield, UEFA opens investigation

Ekitike apologizes to the fans

Fully aware of his mistake, the former PSG man quickly took to social media:
“I was excited tonight to help the team get a win at Anfield in my first Carabao Cup match. The emotion got the better of me. I apologize to the Reds family. Thank you for your support for me and the team to secure this victory.”
At 23, Ekitike faces a pivotal moment: after a promising start, he now has to prove to his coach that he’s learned from this emotional slip-up.