Saved by Ekitike: Slot must drop 5/10 Liverpool star who lost the ball 15x

da jogodeouro： Liverpool saw off Southampton at Anfield to advance to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, and it was all rather pedestrian until Hugo Ekitike’s hot-and-cold second-half appearance, scoring the winner and seeing the referee’s red glare after his shirtless celebration.

da imperador bet： Alexander Isak, signed from Newcastle United for a British record £125m fee on transfer deadline day, made his second start at Anfield and got off the mark after coolly converting before the break, but defensive disaster gave Saints a route back in during the second half.

And then Ekitike came alive, tapping the impressive Federico Chiesa’s cross-box pass into an empty net after a bright and lively showing, only to get himself sent off

He will miss the forthcoming Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.

Ekitike's performance vs Southampton

It’s been quite the start to life in Liverpool for Ekitike, arriving in July for an initial £69m fee and getting up to speed against the backdrop of the Reds’ high-profile bid for Isak, raging through August.

The Frenchman has only used the competition to spur him on, with his 85th-minute winner against Southampton the fifth goal of his Liverpool career, eight games in. He also has one assist.

However, the hype train has been paused after a moment of madness, getting sent off after converting the winner.

He won’t be present when Liverpool travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday, but as journalist Bence Bocsak put it, it’s “been an incredible start” for the 23-year-old, who is very much proving his worth in an internal tussle with Isak for the ascendancy.

However, Arne Slot will be frustrated by more than just his striker’s dismissal, with a number of Redmen leaving something to be desired.

And Jeremie Frimpong was at the epicentre, surely now facing a fresh battle for a regular starting berth at right-back after a poor effort in the Carabao Cup.

Slot must drop Jeremie Frimpong

Frimpong was among the wave of recruits this summer; in fact, he was the first to walk through the Anfield gates, signed from Bayer Leverkusen for just under £30m.

Injury has disrupted his start to life as a senior in England, his only Premier League start coming in the season opener against Bournemouth. The Dutchman will be gunning for another, but it’s unlikely to come against Palace after an unconvincing display against Championship opposition.

The Liverpool Echo gave Frimpong a 5/10 match rating and criticised his ‘off-night’, lacking fluency on the ball and struggling to contain the bustling Ryan Manning. Conor Bradley was introduced after the break, and Frimpong advanced to an attacking role on the right flank.

The 24-year-old’s defensive contribution was lacking, and he struggled to take the handbrake off and unleash his athletic, high-speed style of play.

Frimpong vs Southampton

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Accurate passes

33/39 (85%)

Key passes

0

Crosses

0/4

Possession lost

15x

Dribbles

0/0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Duels won

1/5

Data via Sofascore

Bradley will hope to return to the starting line-up, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dominik Szoboszlai returning to his moonlit role out wide, having plyed his craft industriously and effectively so far this season.

In any case, all this competition is only a good thing for Slot’s side, who still haven’t hit their stride and yet are firing on all cylinders. Onto the next.