A round-up of the national media’s coverage of Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup
10:17, 24 Sep 2025Updated 22:18, 24 Sep 2025
Arne Slot looks on as Hugo Ekitike walks off the pitch having been shown a second yellow card for removing his shirt after scoring what proved to be Liverpool’s winner against Southampton (Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
It was a tale of three strikers for Liverpool in the Carabao Cup as they beat Southampton 2-1 on Tuesday night via goals from Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. Both of which were put on a plate by Federico Chiesa.
It was another night of late drama for the Reds at Anfield, this time forcing a winner in the closing stages via Ekitike, whose tap-in came about after a sumptuous control from Chiesa to give his team-mate the chance to settle the game.
Ekititke was promptly sent off for removing a shirt in celebration while already on a booking, having replaced Isak, who opened his account in the 43rd minute, for the second half.
OPINION
Paul Gorst
The ECHO, as ever, was on hand to oversee the game. You can find our full complement of match coverage here: verdict; player ratings; analysis; live blog; Arne Slot reaction; Will Still on Ekitike.
Our colleagues from the national media were also on hand to run the rule over proceedings and give their considered takes. Here’s what they made of it after a sixth successive Liverpool win.
The Times’ Paul Joyce writes: “It was always going to require something remarkable to wrestle the spotlight away from Alexander Isak’s first Liverpool goal. Hugo Ektike duly obliged, though not in the manner he would have hoped.
“The French striker had replaced Isak at the interval and maintained Liverpool’s slew of late winners this season to see off a plucky Southampton side. Yet having already been booked for punching the ball away, the forward’s decision to whip off his shirt in celebration in the 86th minute meant the referee, Thomas Bramall, brought his night to a premature, and farcical, close with a red card.
“To say Arne Slot looked less than impressed would be an understatement. The forward will miss their next game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
“Progress to the Carabao Cup fourth round was still achieved but, until then, the focus was drawn to Isak and no-one can dispute he is not prepared to put in the hard yards in order to be a success.”
Rich Jolly, of The Independent, pens: “And to think some worried Hugo Ekitike would be overshadowed by Alexander Isak at Anfield. On the night the £125m man opened his account for his new club, Ekitike contrived to upstage his striking rival, extending Liverpool’s extraordinary record of late deciders and yet drawing cutting criticism from his manager.
“For the sixth time in seven games, Liverpool won late on; for the fourth time after they had lost a lead. And yet this drama at the death against Southampton took on a novel twist as Ekitike tapped in a centre from the excellent Federico Chiesa and promptly brought his own contribution to an end. Already booked for punching the ball away in a display of dissent, he collected a second yellow card for taking his shirt off in celebration.
“The Frenchman has made a fine impression in his brief Liverpool career but this, as Arne Slot was swift to say, was sheer stupidity.
“With his watching brief in the second half, the Swede had further evidence of Liverpool’s ability to make life difficult for themselves. Their winning habit remains but so, too, does an inability to look completely convincing. Slot was critical. ‘I was happy with a few performances but far from happy with a few others,’ he said. The guilty will know who they are.
“And a starting 11 costing some £250m – even if half of that went on Isak – and replacements who came for another £120m were pegged back by a team 19th in the Championship, winless since the opening day and with a mere three victories in 52 league matches.”
Over on the Daily Mail’s pages, Dominic King also focused on Ekitike’s hero-to-zero moment, writing: “It was a Cup night, so did you expect anything other than surprises? Nothing ever goes to plan at Anfield on occasions such as these and so, again, it was true.
“There was a surprise for Alexander Isak, who found himself being ordered to do more running at half-time when he thought the sanctuary of the changing room beckoned. There was a surprise for Will Still, who saw his Southampton team leave their patchy form well behind.
“But the biggest shock was reserved for Arne Slot, who watched in disbelief as Hugo Etikite saved the day in one moment then, in the next, presented his manager with an unnecessary headache from two actions that even his team-mates regarded as preposterous.
“You have to go some to get criticism after plundering a late winner but for Ekitike to put a blemish on all his early outstanding work with two – wholly avoidable – bookings and earn himself a suspension for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace left Slot dumbfounded.”
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And in the ECHO’s verdict: “But Isak is not the only big-money striker joining Liverpool this summer and his exit for Hugo Ekitike gave the France international the chance to strut his own stuff for 45 minutes.
“Once more the former Eintracht Frankfurt man, who could end up costing the Reds £79m, was bright and inventive, with his elegant, rangy style forcing Southampton into a number of desperate scrambles inside their own penalty area.
“After Shea Charles had profited from a failure to clear a corner – look away now Wataru Endo – it was left to Ekitike to tap in Chiesa’s second assist of the evening for his fifth goal in seven games.
“Incomprehensibly, Ekitike, who was already on a booking for shoving the ball away in frustration at a Thomas Bramall decision, removed his shirt in celebration, only to promptly see the second yellow flashed in his direction. A social media apology has since been given by the Frenchman.
“It was a foolish and naive decision from Ekitike to take his shirt off, regardless of how peculiar that specific law is and his one-game suspension now means Isak will be thrust into a more prolonged run-out this weekend. Just as well Liverpool had a plan for those fitness levels all along then.”