Hugo Ekitike 'silly' moment turns Liverpool spotlight straight back to Alexander Isak
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Given the performances of one and the price tag of the other, we've quickly come to expect that we will see Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike chopping and changing in the Liverpool attack.
Just not like this.
After Ekitike replaced Isak at half-time, he would then give the Swede his starting berth back with his daft late red for removing his shirt after scoring the winner that put Liverpool through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at Southampton's expense.
Isak will now, you'd think, start at Crystal Palace on Saturday, and Arne Slot is sure to be annoyed at the lack of a secondary option in attack thanks purely to a moment of madness.
Isak, after all, is probably not yet up to speed to play 90 minutes in the Premier League, but he might well be asked to do so at the home of a team who are unbeaten in 17 matches.
“I’ll be very surprised if he does it again,” said Andy Robertson to the television cameras afterwards when admonishing Ekitike, while he also labelled the forward "silly" for his actions.
It was a reminder that he is still a young player who will need to learn the ropes despite his excellent start and, while the Reds do have a talent on their hands, they also have a player with a fair bit to learn.
Saints bearing gifts for Alexander Isak
Just when Liverpool needed a hero in front of goal, one stepped up.
Hats off to you, Leo Scienza.
If that sounds harsh on Southampton's Brazilian-Luxembourgian midfielder then it isn't meant to be, but it is impossible to ignore the Saints' No.13's horror header in front of the Kop end goal that ended up having such a decisive impact on this cup tie, just not the way he wanted it.
As just 38 seconds later, Isak was gleefully firing in his first Liverpool goal following another mistake, this time from visiting goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.
It was a moment to savour for Isak, who had grown into the first half after being denied by McCarthy just 45 seconds in.
As Southampton stepped into the game, troubling Liverpool on several occasions and angering Slot, it had been Isak who ensured smooth passage in attack for a much-changed side.
A trademark run in behind the Saints defence created a chance for for Federico Chiesa and with a bit more luck another would have been put on a plate for Curtis Jones following a brilliant change of pace down the left.
It was only to be a 45-minute cameo from the £125m man, but there was enough there to show that the clever runs and incisive finishing that made him so coveted will soon be a regular sight at Anfield.
Rusty Reds almost punished
Not to labour the point on poor Scienza, but had the 27-year-old directed his header into the Kop end net and not agonisingly - and quite hilariously - wide of it then it would have been a lead that Southampton had deserved.
It isn't that Liverpool were poor in the first half, but more that it was clear that this is a team that hadn't played together before.
Given you can currently say that about the 'first team' for periods of Premier League and Champions League matches then perhaps that isn't all that surprising, but there was a notable look of concern on Slot's face for much of the opening period.
Joe Gomez was one player who looked a little more undercooked than others, with his trademark coolness on the ball never quite evident.
Jeremie Frimpong, too, was guilty of giving the ball away a little too often.
This round of the Carabao Cup usually presents a golden opportunity for those players on the fringes of the team to make their mark, but they can end up doing so in just as much of a negative manner as a positive one.
Heartbreak for Giovanni Leoni
Giovanni Leoni's Liverpool debut had been wonderful to watch, with the Italian belying his tender years to deliver a display that looked calm, composed and assured.
One misplaced header in front of the Kop aside, you'd be forgiven for thinking Leoni was the senior partner alongside Gomez, and there was real excitement brewing at Anfield over just how good this new find could be.
Then came devastation.
Leoni instantly looked distressed after collapsing in a heap on the sidelines when going into what looked like an innocuous challenge, and murmurs would quickly spread around the ground that he might have done himself some serious damage.
It was an awful moment to witness, and one that we can only hope he swiftly recovers from.
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Should the Italian be sidelined for a long time then the failure to sign Marc Guehi will also come under the microscope again, with the Reds left short of cover in the centre of defence.
Gomez's night will hopefully blow away any cobwebs that had built up with his lack of appearances, but right now it is impossible to argue that Liverpool would look a much better squad if they had Guehi on their side on Saturday rather than against them.