Another late winner saw Liverpool advance in the Carabao Cup as they defeated Southampton 2-1 at Anfield in a dramatic third-round clash. The night was a tale of two summer signings, with record-buy Alexander Isak opening his account for the club before Hugo Ekitiké scored an 85th-minute winner and was promptly sent off for his celebration.
Isak gets off the mark
Manager Arne Slot made a host of changes to his lineup but still started several new signings, including Isak. The visitors from the Championship started brightly and were unlucky not to take the lead, hitting the crossbar through Adam Armstrong in the first half. However, just moments later, Isak announced himself with his first goal in a Liverpool shirt. Federico Chiesa pounced on a poor pass from goalkeeper Alex McCarthy before finding the Swedish striker, who finished clinically. The goal was a significant moment for the £125 million forward as he looks to quickly settle at his new club.
Late drama sees hero turn villain
Isak was substituted for Hugo Ekitiké at the start of the second half as Slot continues to manage his minutes. It appeared the Reds would see out a simple victory, but Southampton substitute Shea Charles brought the visitors level with a well-taken goal in the 75th minute. Matters were complicated further for the hosts when defender Giovanni Leoni went down with a nasty fall, leaving Liverpool’s makeshift defence looking vulnerable.
However, the Reds’ never-say-die attitude once again came to the forefront. In the 85th minute, Ekitiké latched onto a loose ball to fire home what would be the winning goal. In a bizarre turn of events, the French striker’s ensuing celebration, where he took off his shirt, earned him a second yellow card and he was sent off just moments after becoming the hero. Liverpool were forced to see out the final minutes with 10 men.
This victory was another testament to the incredible mentality that is defining Liverpool‘s season. While Isak getting his first goal is a huge positive, Ekitiké’s moment of madness serves as a bizarre footnote and a lesson in maintaining discipline, even in moments of high emotion.