Why Hugo Ekitike Will Miss a Premier League Game After Carabao Cup Red Card

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will not be available for their next Premier League clash against Crystal Palace, even though his red card came in the Carabao Cup.

The French forward, who joined Liverpool for €95 million, picked up two yellow cards in the Reds’ 2-1 win over Southampton at Anfield. 

His second booking came in a very unusual way after scoring, he ripped off his shirt in celebration, forgetting that he had already been cautioned earlier in the game.

The incident against Southampton

Liverpool progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Ekitike, both assisted by Federico Chiesa. But instead of ending the night as a hero, Ekitike left his team a man down.

Manager Arne Slot was far from pleased. Speaking after the match, the Dutch coach described the striker’s action as “stupid,” saying it was a moment of emotion that made no sense in such a game. 

Slot even noted that he might have understood if the celebration came after scoring a decisive goal in a Champions League final, but not in a domestic cup tie against a Championship side.

Ekitike’s teammate Jeremie Frimpong was also visibly frustrated on the pitch when the red card was shown.

Ekitike’s apology

After the match, the 22-year-old striker posted an apology on Instagram. He admitted that emotions got the better of him and thanked his teammates and the fans for supporting him despite his mistake.

“I was so excited tonight to help the team achieve another victory here in our home for my first Carabao Cup match… The emotion got the better of me tonight. My apologies to all the Red family,” Ekitike wrote.

Why he will miss a Premier League match

Many fans, including Fantasy Premier League players, were confused about why Ekitike would miss a league game instead of the next round of the Carabao Cup.

According to English football rules, red card suspensions in domestic competitions apply across all tournaments, the Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup. This means that even though Ekitike’s sending off came in a cup match, the suspension carries over to the league.

As a result, he will be unavailable for Liverpool’s trip to Selhurst Park to face FA Cup winners Crystal Palace this weekend.