LIVERPOOL, England — It took less than a minute for Alexander Isak to make his intentions clear.
With just seconds on the clock in Liverpool‘s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Southampton on Tuesday, the Sweden international took the ball in his stride and drilled it goalwards, only to see his effort tipped over the bar by the stretching Alex McCarthy.
Barely 40 minutes later, though, McCarthy was picking the ball out of his own net as Liverpool’s newest marksman wheeled away in celebration, having notched the first goal of what many on Merseyside hope will be an illustrious Anfield career. In the second half, Isak watched from the bench as fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike scored the winning goal for the hosts, booking the club’s place in the fourth round of a competition they are bidding to win for a record-extending 11th time.
After weeks of debate about how Slot will be able to keep his two big-money strikers happy, both Isak and Ekitike delivered to ensure the Liverpool boss ended the night with a smile on his face — even if the Dutchman was left to lament Ekitike’s “needless” second-half dismissal for picking up two yellow cards.
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Considering the likes of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz were afforded a rare chance to watch the action unfold from the comfort of their own sofas, it is no exaggeration to say Slot now has an embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal.
Still, the Liverpool head coach was once again made to wait to see his team clinch the victory, with Ekitike’s 86th-minute strike marking the sixth occasion in seven games this season the Reds have scored a winning goal in the final 10 minutes of a game. The disjointed nature of Liverpool’s display on Tuesday night can, in part, be attributed to the fact Slot made 11 changes to the side that beat Everton 2-1 in last weekend’s Merseyside derby.
As well as a start for Isak, Slot handed debuts to goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and defender Giovanni Leoni, with the latter, in particular, impressing before he was substituted with what appeared to be a knee injury late in the second half. But, in spite of the huge gulf in resources between the two clubs, Southampton performed admirably and almost took the lead shortly before the break when Leo Scienza nodded wide after Adam Armstrong‘s initial strike came crashing off the post.
Just 39 seconds later, Will Still’s side found themselves behind, with Isak sweeping past McCarthy after the Southampton goalkeeper’s miscued pass was picked off by the lively Federico Chiesa. As the Sweden striker slid across the Anfield turf in celebration, it looked as though a weight had been lifted.
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‘Needless and stupid’ – Slot on Ekitike’s Carabao Cup red card
Arne Slot reacts to Hugo Ekitike’s red card after scoring Liverpool’s winning goal vs. Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
After finding himself at the centre of the summer’s most toxic transfer saga before his acrimonious Newcastle United departure, Isak is now playing with a target on his back. Of course, having joined the Premier League champions in a British record deal, there is an expectation the forward will deliver for Liverpool on far grander stages but, in scoring against Southampton, he has now officially announced his Anfield arrival.
“It’s nice,” Slot said of the striker’s landmark goal. “It is only six or seven days ago he made his debut, so time goes so fast, but we got him not in the best circumstances in terms of match fitness. You cannot play him 90 minutes and if you only play him 45 it might take a while before he scores his first goal.
“The best moment we start to see what he is hopefully is when he comes back from the Sweden national team. Then we can expect even more from him, but until now very happy.”
It was Ekitike, though, who made sure of the win, tapping home from Chiesa’s lay-off after Shea Charles had restored parity for the visitors in the second half. It was the Frenchman’s fifth goal in eight games since joining the club in a £69 million deal from Eintracht Frankfurt but, if his cool finish offered further evidence of his quality, then his impetuous decision to remove his shirt during the celebrations — having already been shown a yellow card for dissent — showed he is still a player with plenty to learn.
“It was needless and stupid,” Slot said. “The first one was already needless and to a certain extent stupid because you have to control your emotions. I know how hard it is when you are a No. 9 when the defender can to a certain extent do anything he likes.
“It’s always the best to control your emotions. If you can’t, do it in a way that doesn’t lead to a yellow card.”
Ekitike’s antics mean he will be unable to feature for Liverpool in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. But, with Isak now off the mark, it could be the perfect opportunity for the Reds’ new No. 9 to really make a statement.
