The French striker grabbed the winning goal in the 85th minute, but instantly spoiled the moment by taking off his shirt in celebration, earning a second yellow card from referee Thomas Bramall.
Jeremie Frimpong’s frustration with his teammate was clear, and pundit Chris Sutton blasted the 23-year-old for his “sheer stupidity,” which now rules him out of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Liverpool to fine Ekitike after red card vs Southampton
According to Mail Sport’s Liverpool Confidential column by Lewis Steele, Ekitike is set to be punished with a fine worth two weeks’ wages—around £400,000. However, the “biggest punishment” might be the backlash from his own teammates, some of whom publicly criticised the needless red card.
Steele summed it up: “A mistake has been made, the punishment handed down—Ekitike will lose financially, but gain experience.”
Ekitike’s lesson to learn
It’s rare to see teammates and even manager Arne Slot publicly label a player’s action as “stupid,” showing just how avoidable the incident was and how much it angered the dressing room.
The forward has since apologised and will miss the Palace match, but his absence means he’ll be fresher for Liverpool’s Champions League trip to Galatasaray next week.
The best way for Ekitike to bounce back is by returning to scoring form. He’s already bagged five goals in eight games for the Reds, including the Merseyside derby winner.
Others before him have bounced back—Darwin Núñez was infamously sent off for a rash headbutt on his Anfield debut, but he turned things around and won the fans over. If Ekitike can find the net against Galatasaray or Chelsea before the international break, his midweek blunder will be quickly forgotten.
