Furious Arne Slot’s private message to Hugo Ekitike as Liverpool boss left with decision to make

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Ekitike's actions have resulted in a suspension for Liverpool's Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Saturday, leaving an irate Arne Slot with some selection dilemmas.

It wasn't just Slot who was taken aback by the forward's decision; teammate Jeremie Frimpong rushed towards the still-celebrating Ekitike with a worried expression, before informing him that his actions would lead to an early exit from the pitch.

Mirror Football has gathered all the reactions to Ekitike's red card, including Slot's private message to the player, a much-needed apology and the selection headache this has caused for the Reds.



READ MORE:Arne Slot doubles down on Hugo Ekitike after Liverpool star's 'stupid' red card

Arne Slot was left fuming by Ekitike's behaviour, describing both his yellow cards as "stupid" and "needless".

Despite Liverpool progressing to the fourth round, the Reds' boss was livid after the match.

When asked about Ekitike's sending off, the Dutchman said: "The first one (yellow card) was already needless and to a certain extent stupid because you have to control your emotions, and I know how hard it is if you play in the Premier League and you are a number nine then the defender can almost do everything he wants, and when you push him a little bit you get a free-kick against you.

"But it is always the best to control your emotions, and if you can't then do it in a way that doesn't lead to a yellow card.

So I think I said when I got my red card against Everton that's always stupid because you can show your emotions but if it leads to a yellow or red then it's, to a certain extent, stupid."

Slot went on to reveal a behind-the-scenes chat with the Liverpool striker, stating he would have accepted such celebrations in a far more crucial match for the club.

He said: "Then I told him that if you score in a Champions League final in the 87th minute after beating three players and hitting it in the top corner I can maybe understand you say 'it's all about me'.

"But I'm old fashioned, I'm 47, I'm old, and I haven't played at this level but I did score a few goals, and if I scored a goal like this I would have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and say 'this goal is all about you, this is not about me'.

"So yeah, needless, not smart, you call it stupid and I call it stupid."

Ekitike issued a heartfelt apology, admitting that 'emotion got the better of me' after his dismissal in the Carabao Cup match against Southampton.

Reflecting on the unfortunate ending to an otherwise thrilling game at Anfield, he said: "I think scoring a goal is always emotional and you always get that emotion.

"But he's obviously just forgotten he's been booked.

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