Liverpool fans were already riding high. The Reds had their talismanic new signing Alexander Isak netting his first goal. Then, late in the match, Hugo Ekitike substitute turned saviour buried the winner in the 85th minute to send Anfield into ecstasy.
But that euphoria lasted only moments.
See, Ekitike had already been booked for dissent earlier in the game. In his celebration, he took off his shirt a loving nod to the fans, no doubt but on a second yellow card, that gesture is automatic red.
The ref flashed it. Game over. He was off. Red card. Hero turned villain in an instant.
Manager Arne Slot didn’t mince words. He slammed the dismissal as “stupid” and “needless” saying that even if it’s a wild, breathtaking goal, you don’t throw away all discipline in one act.
Slot made one point crystal clear: the goal wasn’t “about me” it should’ve been a salute to Federico Chiesa, who assisted both goals.
Of course, Ekitike owned it. He apologized on social media:
“The emotion got the better of me … My apologies to all the Red family.”
The fallout? He now misses Liverpool’s next match away at Crystal Palace.
So here’s the headline: a match-winning goal spoiled by a celebration too passionate for its own good. It’s the kind of moment that gets burned into the memory: the sheer joy, the madness, the heartbreak all in one fell swoop.
And as a true football nut would say sometimes the greatest stories in our sport come from mistakes just as much as brilliance.
