Games French-Cameroonian forward Hugo Ekitike will miss after ’stupid’ red card

French forward Hugo Ekitike will serve an automatic suspension after his dramatic red card in Liverpool’s EFL Cup clash with Southampton on Tuesday night.

The striker’s dismissal came moments after scoring the 89th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Anfield, when he removed his shirt to celebrate in front of the Kop and earned a second yellow card.

Born in Reims to Cameroonian parents, the 22-year-old joined Liverpool from Frankfurt in the summer and has quickly become a crowd favourite. But his passion cost him and his team, as the Reds had to play the closing stages with 10 men.

Manager Arne Slot did not hide his frustration with the incident. “Needless? Yes,” he said. “And it was stupid. It was. In the first one (for dissent), it was already needless and, to a certain extent, stupid, as you have got to control your emotions.”

Ekitike later apologised for the flashpoint, saying the “emotion got the better of me” after scoring such an important goal in front of a packed Anfield.

Under FA rules, a red card received in a domestic cup fixture carries over to all domestic competitions. It means Ekitike will definitely miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Only in the EFL Trophy and the National League Cup are suspensions confined to the specific tournament.

Despite the setback, Liverpool managed to hold on for victory and secured their place in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

The Reds will discover their next opponents later this week when the rest of the third-round ties involving Premier League clubs are completed.