In the third round of the League Cup where Liverpool beat Southampton 2-1, Ekitic scored the winning goal and undressed to celebrate, but turned around to greet him not the smiles and hugs of his teammates, but Flynnon's face of annoyance. After being sent off for undressing to celebrate his second yellow card after being sent off for slacking off, Ekitic walked out helplessly and passed by the coaching staff who showed displeasure.
The Athletic posted a message explaining that Ekitic was sent off after receiving the second yellow card, saying that the player might have really forgotten that he had already carried a yellow card, and the undressing celebration itself seemed to be conveying some kind of message. In this game, Ekitic did not start. At the beginning, he sat on the bench and watched another new player in Liverpool in the summer window and set a record of British transfer fee Isaac scored his first goal in the Reds. The winning goal scored by Ekitic in the 85th minute was the fifth goal in his eight games since he joined the transfer. His reaction was self-evident. He was announcing to the world that he could not be ignored. Forwards need a little selfishness, and it is this trait that creates the greatest shooters, who must be confident and even a little conceited.
Ekitic has had to face pressure to compete with Isaac since joining Liverpool, but he did not respond negatively, but chose to face the challenge. But last night's performance was his first mistake, and it was a serious mistake. The dilemma between Isaac and Ekitic is a problem that Slott has not yet solved. As Isaac's physical condition gets better, the problem of forward choice also follows. Will they play together? Or let Ekitic play on the left? Or change the tactical system? Because of Ekitic's amazing start at Liverpool, the team's No. 9 competition is so fierce, which makes his behavior seem understandable.