Liverpool’s Carabao Cup clash with Southampton produced one of the most astonishing moments in the competition’s history, courtesy of Hugo Ekitike.
With the game finely poised at 1–1 in the 86th minute and the tension inside the stadium at its peak, Ekitike seized his opportunity. Capitalising on a defensive lapse and with the goalkeeper caught out of position, he slotted the ball into an empty net — seemingly delivering the decisive goal for Liverpool.
What followed, however, was nothing short of extraordinary. In a rush of emotion, Ekitike ripped off his shirt, roared towards the crowd, and struck a celebratory pose directly in front of the referee. The problem? He was already on a yellow card.
Despite frantic attempts from teammates to calm him down, the referee had no choice but to brandish a second yellow followed by a red. Within half a minute, Liverpool’s potential match-winner had gone from hero to being sent off, leaving both sets of fans stunned and the coaching staff in disbelief.
The surreal nature of the incident — scoring into an empty net before undoing it all through a moment of reckless celebration — left the stadium in shock. It will go down as one of the most bizarre and unforgettable twists in Carabao Cup history.
