Tuesday night saw Arne Slot make wholesale changes from the team that won the Merseyside Derby at the weekend. As a result, there was a mix of youth and experience on the pitch at Anfield in what turned out to be a hard-fought League Cup victory.
While players like Alexander Isak, Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Leoni (Speedy recovery) left nothing but positive marks on the match, there is one player that left almost everyone bemused at the end.
Hugo Ekitike scored another goal to add to his early Liverpool tally as he tapped home the late winner from an unselfish layoff from Chiesa.
It was another example of the Reds battling to the end and finding a way to get it done. However, Ekitike saw red after getting booked for a second time in the match.
The Backstory
We all know that Ekitike has been brilliant to begin his Liverpool career as his goal on Tuesday was already his fourth goal from 7 total appearances.
However, the prevailing transfer saga of the summer was the Reds' pursuit of Sweden striker Alexander Isak, who would eventually be secured for a British record transfer fee.
As Slot and his staff have been slowly integrating Isak into the club, Ekitike has seen some of his minutes cut short. At a club like Liverpool, this kind of competition for places should be the norm, but it's clearly an adjustment.
While the 23-year old Frenchman has been super professional and courteous in interviews about his new strike partner, his attitude and actions on Tuesday night told a different story.
He came on at halftime for Isak after the former scored his first goal for the club with a well-taken effort himself. Ekitike was lively and playing well as we have become accustomed too.
Having said that, he seemed to be a little more on edge then we are used to seeing as he received a needless yellow card for punching the ball away after rightly being called for a foul on a long ball.
From elation to frustration
Having said all of that, he was one of the better players on the pitch and as mentioned above, he socred the winning goal in a cup tie at Anfield. A truly memorable moment for him. Was it one of the easier goals he'll ever score? Probably, but that does not dampen the feeling that comes with it.
The frustration comes from his celebration as he took off his jersey and held the back aloft to the crowd in the corner as if it were a reminder of who he was and that he was still a force to acknowledge.
However, while he very well could have forgotten that he had been booked already, this whole thing felt like a not so veiled message to the coaches and pundits everywhere that have been purring over Isak's arrival at Anfield.
As a result of his red card, he will now be suspended for the Premier League match against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Hugo is a great player and should only get better in time. However, there should be no name on the back that is more important than the badge on the front. This is something he will learn.
I do believe he was caught in the heat of the moment in a proper cup tie whilst being in the midst of a personal adjustment after having begun life so well in England but now seeing his minutes cut.
There are strong and respected voices in the Liverpool locker room so I don't expect this to be a long-term issue, but it's something that should be addressed and all parties can move forward. In the moment, it was selfish, but if Ekitike can learn form this, it could become a turning point in his partnership with Isak.