Tuesday evening, Hugo Ekitike went through all the States during the League Cup meeting (1/16th finals) against Southampton. First there was the disappointment of not starting the game since his coach, Arne Slot, had preferred to start Alexander Isak. Then, joy seized the former Paris Saint-Germain player when he scored the goal of victory 2 to 1 in the 85th minute. Too happy, he celebrated by removing his jersey. As the regulation stipulates, the arbitrator sanctioned him with a yellow card. Problem, it was his second, since he had already been warned a few minutes before. The Frenchy therefore received a red card and left its teammates in inferiority in a hung meeting. The Athletic returned to the subject this Wednesday.
“The expulsion was aggravated by the fact that the first yellow card of Ekitike was useless – or, as the back left Andy Robertson, also due to” stupidity “. Following with the central defender of Southampton, Nathan Wood, a fault was whistled against Ekitike. Frustrated by this decision, the two players shooting the jersey, the attacker recovered the ball and sent it in the air. ” The British media added concerning its second yellow card. “While Hugo Ekitike turned around, his Liverpool red jersey still in his hands after having stretched him out of Anfield fans after scoring the winning goal during a 2-1 victory in the third round of the Carabao Cup against Southampton, he was not greeted by smiles and hugs.”
Two yellow cards considered stupid
The Athletic continues: “Instead, he turned around and saw Frimpong, his face tense by frustration. He knew what was going to happen and Ekitike was not long in discovering it, because he received a second yellow card for removing his jersey. The 23 -year -old went to the tunnel, passing a little impressed technical staff, while Liverpool had to finish the match at ten. His teammates survived, but they will now be deprived of Ekitike for the trip to Crystal Palace this weekend, suspended for a match (…) perhaps he had simply forgotten that he had received a yellow card, but his celebration had in itself a positive side. “
The media concludes: “Earlier in the evening, Ekitike had attended the first goal of Alexander Isak, the British recruit Record and a new summer recruit, for Liverpool. It was easy to read Ekitike's reaction to his victorious goal in the 85th minute – his fifth goal in eight games since his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt – as if he reminded the world that he was still there. Ekitike had to manage the noise around the Isak affair as soon as he signed, but instead of reacting negatively, he took up the challenge. Last night was his first misstep, and a big misstep. ” THE Daily Mail also mentioned the big error of the tricolor attacker.
He was reprimanded by Liverpool
“The biggest shock was reserved for Arne Slot, who looked at Hugo Ekitike in disbelief to save the situation at some point, then, the next moment, to give his manager a unnecessary headache because of two actions that even his teammates considered absurd. You have to be a little critical even after scoring a victorious goal at the end of the match. The fact that Ekitike put an end to his excellent initial work with two yellow cards – completely avoidable – and was inflicted a suspension for the trip on Saturday to Crystal Palace left slot stunned. ” Indeed, the Dutch technician did not appreciate this at all as he explained yesterday at a press conference. “It's stupid to remove your jersey and take yellow. If you score a goal like that, you have to thank the player who made you pass, but it's really stupid to remove his jersey. ”
Andy Robertson is of the same opinion. “I would be very surprised that he recurred. I think that scoring a goal is always a source of emotion, and we always feel this emotion, but he has obviously forgotten that he had been warned. His first gesture (on his first yellow card, Editor's note) is stupid: he knocks the ball in the distance, we know the rules on this subject. Two silly errors to recover and now we are missing for Saturday, so it's silly from him but he is young and he will learn from it. I am happy that he has marked, but the last ten minutes have been a little more difficult with a reduced workforce to ten. He will learn from it and I am sure he won't do it anymore. ” In the opposing camp, coach Will Still, who knows Ekitike well from Reims well, took that with humor.
The English press tackles
“Hugo makes me laugh, it's a funny boy. We saw each other before the match, and he told me that he was going to enter, mark, give me a jersey and screwed up, and that's exactly what he did. ” The English press laughed less. THE Liverpool Echowhich gave him the note of 6, wrote: “He replaced Isak at halftime and will have no opportunity easier to score this season than the victorious goal at the end of the match. He was immediately expelled for withdrawing his jersey when he had already received a yellow card. Idress to the extreme, he is now suspended by Crystal Palace. ” Goal, who gave him the same note, also criticized the French player.
“He took over from Isak in attack at halftime and spoiled a superb center of Chiesa with a well placed head, missing the frame, before redeeming by deciding the fate of the match in favor of Liverpool. However, all the headlines will rightly focus on its silly decision to remove your jersey to celebrate your goal. Despite the beautiful form of Ekitike, it is now Isak who has the advantage in the fight for an attacker's place in the Slot team. ” Same note and even bell sound for the Daily Express. “Beautiful touches of ball and a hellish game. He found the way for empty nets on a center of the Italian Chiesa. But he was expelled for removing his jersey by celebrating, seeming to have forgotten that he was under a yellow card. He is penalized and he is now in a ridiculous way, a suspension. ” Aware of his blunder, Ekitike apologized on Instagram. “The emotion has taken over. My apologies to the Red family. “ A family that counts on him so that they no longer reproduce this error.
