Liverpool are steamrolling the early season like a runaway freight coach, but even the most ruthless engines grind to a halt when one of the passengers loses his or her grip on the rules of travel. Enter Hugo Ekitike. The French forward, in excellent form, decided midweek that scoring a tap-in against a Championship side was worthy of a half-time fashion show. Shirt off, yellow card waved, suspension guaranteed. And just like that, Liverpool’s striker depth shrinks as they head to Selhurst Park this weekend.
Hugo Ekitike and the celebration gone wrong
There’s a thin line between passion and poor judgment, and Hugo Ekitike sprinted across it like a man late for the bus. Already sitting on a yellow for wasting time, he removed his shirt to salute the crowd, only to be escorted straight off the pitch. The referee did his job, Ekitike did his pose, and Liverpool now do without him against Crystal Palace.
Hugo Ekitike absence may sting against Palace
Crystal Palace may not be Manchester City, but Selhurst Park is hardly a picnic ground. The Eagles thrive on chaos, and Ekitike’s suspension means Liverpool lose a forward who was averaging a goal contribution every 92.5 minutes. Not bad numbers for a player still learning the Liverpool way. Arne Slot admitted the whole saga was “foolish,” and he wasn’t wrong.
Ekitike suspension: my two cents
According to sources, Liverpool staff privately sighed louder than a teenager told to clean their room. And honestly, I get it. In football, goals are oxygen, and Ekitike was breathing plenty of it. A one-match ban isn’t catastrophic, but if Liverpool stumble without him, this incident will become the punchline of the week. Personally, I’d fine him in laundry duty—make him wash every shirt at Anfield until he learns to keep one on.
In the end, Liverpool should still have enough firepower to handle Palace. But when the season gets tight, these little lapses matter. Football doesn’t forgive silly red cards—it remembers them. Just ask Hugo Ekitike, the man who turned a winner’s moment into a weekend off.
As featured on Chelseanews.com
