'Bad mistake': Stephen Warnock spotted how the Liverpool coaching staff reacted to Ekitike's 'silly' red card
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Liverpool will be missing Hugo Ekitike for their weekend match against Crystal Palace after a needless Carabao Cup sending off.
Ekitike has had a great start to his career at Anfield and carried that on with a late winner on Tuesday night.
But after scoring with just minutes remaining against Southampton, the Frenchman got carried away and removed his shirt in front of the Kop.
Having already been booked for dissent, Ekitike was promptly sent off and will now be unavailable for Liverpool‘s trip to Selhurst Park.
The dismissal will be a blow for Arne Slot as he attempts to manage the fitness of big-money signing Alexander Isak.
And after seeing Ekitike given his marching orders on Tuesday night, Stephen Warnock spotted how Slot and the Liverpool coaching staff reacted.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Ekitike’s Liverpool career has been something of a dream so far.
And having hit a late winner in the Carabao Cup, that looked to have continued with another big moment.
Unfortunately, the decision to remove his shirt was a terrible one from the 23-year-old, and he will now have to sit out on Saturday.
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And commentating for ITV, former Liverpool defender Warnock said the Liverpool coaches were not impressed with Ekitike as he walked down the tunnel.
“What a silly boy,” said the pundit.
“How can you not understand you’re on a yellow card and if you take your shirt off you’re going to get another?
What a bad mistake.
“The first yellow card is silly as well, he tangles and then he punches the ball in disbelief at the decision.”
No one will be more disappointed about his sending off than Ekitike this evening.
But speaking to ITV following the game, another former Liverpool full-back, Glen Johnson, tried to give Ekitike the benefit of the doubt.
“I think he forgot about this, that yellow card came so early after he came on,” said Johnson.
“I’m trying to defend him, I think he forgot about the first one.”
Whether Ekitike forgot or not, the moment of a Carabao Cup winner against a Championship side at Anfield simply did not warrant the removal of his shirt.