Liverpool managed to carry on their winning streak against Southampton on Tuesday, with the Reds beating Will Still’s men 2-1.
The Carabao Cup third round tie was held at Anfield, with Liverpool expected to easily beat the Championship outfit.
And, although they did come out on top, it wasn’t without some luck, as Alexander Isak’s opening goal in the first half was more or less gifted to them.
Indeed, Hugo Ekitike’s goal was a little better, but, seeing as though he chose to take his shirt off after already receiving a yellow card in the game, it sort of soured the moment a bit.
This silly mistake from the Frenchman resulted in Arne Slot calling him “stupid” after the tie, which Danny Murphy and Simon Jordan admitted they found “refreshing.”
Danny Murphy and Simon Jordan liked the way that Arne Slot responded to Hugo Ekitike’s celebration
One thing that has been made clear this season is that Liverpool won’t give up hope until the very last minute.
Most of their winning goals this season have come in the dying embers of the game, with Ekitike’s 85th-minute strike on Tuesday joining that list.
And, as good as the goal was, it’s hard to overlook the fact that he got himself sent off due to a mistake that he made.
The striker has been one of Liverpool’s best players this term, which is another reason why his absence against Crystal Palace could end up affecting the Reds’ performance.
However, while live on talkSPORT, Murphy and Jordan actually backed Slot up for the way he handled Ekitike’s situation.
“It’s so refreshing, isn’t it, to not jump to the defence [of Ekitike] and make excuses,” Murphy said.
“It wasn’t a 30-yarder in the top corner, it was a tap-in after Chiesa put it on a plate for him.”
Simon Jordan also shared his thoughts on Slot’s reaction and said: “I think it’s also the product of someone that’s in control of a dressing room because you’ve got a winning team.
“You’ve got a team where he’s just walked through the door and won the league, they’ve started the season now with five wins in the Premier League.
“They’re at the top of the Premier League, they’re not playing particularly well but they’re still top of the Premier League.
“So with that in mind, that’s the currency that he gets. I wonder if he’d have done this five games into his first season when they hadn’t established their credentials, maybe he would.”
Hugo Ekitike’s mistake shows how young Liverpool’s team actually is
After spending £400million in the summer, you’d expect Liverpool to walk all over any team that they faced.
However, when the players’ ages are taken into account, it shows you how much they still have to learn.
For example, Milos Kerkez hasn’t been in the best form since arriving at Anfield, but in reality, he’s only 21 years old, which means he has plenty of time to develop as he gets used to being a Liverpool player.
Ekitike is another example. The striker is only 23 years old, and although he’s been the Reds’ stand-out player thus far, he clearly still has a lot to learn.
To be honest, a lot of Liverpool’s new arrivals, especially Ekitike, have exceeded expectations this term, and if they keep going in this upward trajectory, it’s hard to think of a team that will be able to stop them.
So, with all that in mind, here’s hoping that the Frenchman will learn from his mistakes and never do something similar again.
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