Ekitike secures Liverpool win over Southampton before he is sent off for celebration

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Alexander Isak scored his first Liverpool goal, Arne Slot's side won again, but progress in the League Cup came at a cost.

Match-winner Hugo Ekitike was sent off for two stupid second-half bookings, first kicking the ball away in disgust having been penalised for a foul, and then removing his shirt after putting his side ahead in the 85th minute.

It meant the Liverpool triumph followed the trend of the season, a position of apparent comfort thrown away, only for Slot's side to find a path to victory. The Dutchman will have found this one more annoying than thrilling given the circumstances, especially as he also lost young defender Giovanni Leoni to what appeared to be a serious injury late on.

Not for the first time this season, Slot would have imagined a more comfortable evening when his side took the lead courtesy of the player the majority inside Anfield were craving to see get off the mark.

No matter how many he scores for Liverpool, Isak will never forget his first time. The Swede will always have fondness for the Anfield Road End of this famous stadium. That was where he celebrated his first goal for Newcastle United against his new club. Now he has repeated the trick for Liverpool, repaying the opening instalment of his British-record transfer.

In his third appearance since his transfer saga ended, the 26-year-old ensured his wait for a goal celebration in a Liverpool jersey was mercifully short. He may need a hundred more to repay the £125m his club committed to pay Newcastle, but fitness permitting few would bet against it.

Isak's breakthrough came on 43 minutes, a tidy finish after poor defending gifted the chance. That proved to be his last meaningful contribution of the evening, Isak only playing for the first half as he is eased towards full match fitness.

Isak's previous goal in this competition was at Wembley against Liverpool. That proved to be the winner for Newcastle United in last year's final, and among the many reasons why Arne Slot was so eager to have him on board.

Federico Chiesa momentarily gave Liverpool hope that Isak's strike that day would not be the winner. On this occasion, the Italian was providing the assist which broke the new arrival's duck.

The Swede could have eased the considerable weight upon him much sooner - after just 45 seconds, in fact, when he latched on to Curtis Jones' pass only to fire directly at Alex McCarthy. The shot rebounded to safety in such a way many were left to ponder if the spirit of Darwin Núñez had been transferred into the new No 9.

What followed was 45 minutes of toil, the much-changed Liverpool line-up looking every inch a team of strangers. Wataru Endo looked like he had not started for months (he has not), Jeremie Frimpong as if he has not fully recovered from a recent injury (he probably has not) and Chiesa like he is learning how to play as a No 10 (he is).

Southampton should have been ahead in the first half, Adam Armstrong and Leo Scienza the culprits at the Kop end, especially in the 40 seconds before Liverpool opened the scoring. Armstrong struck the crossbar with a delicate but probably unnecessary chip, which still left an open goal for Scienza. Somehow he headed wide.

Cameron Archer had earlier completely missed a header when any connection would have been enough to spark away celebrations.

It was a signal of the game's balance that goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and centre-half Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool's debutants, were showing up more than most of their team-mates. Mamardashvili's handling skills looked impressive, while the Italian defender was comfortable in possession.

In attack, Liverpool kept looking towards 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who was full of tricks and intent, nearly helping Chiesa to a spectacular opener midway through the first half. The youngster has already made his mark in the first team this season and looks quite a talent.

Southampton coach Will Still's half-time to team talk took on a fresh tone when Isak struck two minutes before the interval. His frustration was surely compounded by the sense of self-destruction as McCarthy tried to pass from the back, only for Chiesa to intercept and provide Isak with the easiest of finishes.

That was Isak's night done as he began his warm down immediately after the half-time whistle, Ekitike his replacement.

Ekitike was promptly booked for dissent. Given Slot's tendency to worry about avoidable red cards, he may have been tempted to sub him there and then to keep him for Crystal Palace this weekend. He might wish he had.

The home side increased the tempo in pursuit of a second, but in keeping with their season, struggled to find a killer blow to erase doubts about the outcome.

Chiesa thought he had doubled the lead before the hour, but was well offside having found the top corner.

Slot sent on Conor Bradley and another highly-rated academy product, Jayden Danns, but it was Southampton's substitute, Shea Charles, who made the difference from the bench.

A terrible error by Endo saw the ball bounce off his back from a Southampton corner, the ball dropping to Charles who beat Marmadashvili from close range.

Ekitike almost restored the lead instantly, heading wide, but he made amends tapping in after 84 minutes before stupidly earning a red card for removing his shirt.

It was more deja vu for Slot as the lead was squandered only to set up a late winner, but with Ekitike now facing a suspension the carelessness was not over.

He wasn't asked about Ekitike's red card.

Liverpool always make it interesting. One day they're going to come unstuck but so far this season they have always managed to find the decisive late goal after flirting with chucking their ascendancy away. Both goals were made by Chiesa who used to be a wonderful player and seems to be heading back to his best after a spate of injuries.

Chiesa is given another roar of approval for buying a free-kick by shielding the ball, changing pace and inviting Downes to foul him to get it back.

Sliding tackel timed slickly by Gomez takes the ball of Charles' toes and out for what should have been a corner but the ref awards a goal-kick much to Charles' disgust.

Manning is booked for dissent. The crowd loves Chiesa whose commitment is conspicuous as he darts around, desperate for the ball, desperate for the chance to impress. He's a quality player.

Six minutes of stoppage time are signalled and they start with a Liverpool free-kick on the right that they play short, try to play keep-ball but are caught offside.

CORRECTION: Initial information was wrong. The red card rules him out of Saturday's match against Crystal Palace. Silly sod.

Arne Slot tells his players to line up in a 4-4-1 formation to see the game out.

Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 (Ekitike) They've done it again but he takes his shirt off to celebrate and is given a second yellow card. Off he trots. Robertson chips the ball from the centre circle over Edwards and Chiesa, who has darted in behind, cushions it and squares it to Ekitike for a tap-in.

First yellow card was for whacking the ball away in frustration after being penalised, the second for removing his shirt in celebration. The suspension is only in this comp.

Leoni departs on a stretcher on his debut with the applause of the fans ringing in his air as he sucks in the entonox.

Frimpong breaks forward in search of a typical late Liverpool winner, hurtling forward and laying it off to Ekitike before he is fouled. Ekitike's centre is clipped straight into a defender's shins and the move breaks down.

Leoni is injured after a heavy fall. He seemed to bang his head hard on the ground off the pitch but is actually holding his knee. The physios immediately put a brace on it.

Kerkez → Leoni.

Quick chance to equalise from Ekitike after Liverpool pile forward but he cannot beat the keeper or even direct his free back-post header on target.

Liverpool 1 Southampton 1 (Charles) The corner is sent deep from the right. There's no Southampton player there but Endo makes such a rick, missing the header and the ball comes off his ear or possibly shoulder to Qaurshie who flicks it a yard across the six-yard box to Charles who hooks it in. All came from giving away a cheap corner with another terrible pass from the centre of defence.

Another Liverpool chance: Ngumoha → Danns.

Gomez gives the ball to Downes and then redeems himself with the block-tackle at the price of a corner.

Frimpong combines with Ekitike whose angled effort is too close to Mccarthy as if he was just helping it on rather than shooting properly.

I hope Isak's gone home after that. No point sitting on the bench after a half-time warm down.

Mamardashvili almost does a McCarthy with a careless pass but Downes, who picks it off, doesn't try to chip the keeper, who was way off his line, from 25 yards and gives him the chance to recover with a pass into the box that Liverpool smother.

Ekitike meets the near-post corner with his left foot raised, trying to stab/hook it in but he doesn't make the right contact and Manning goes down clutching his head as if struck by the high boot. He wasn't but the ref has a word anyway.

Ngumoha is fouled after showing off his dribbling skills on the left. The free-kick is swung in deep and Southampton head it behind for a corner that Robertson will take.

The lively Chiesa chops the ball with his right 17 yards out to sit a defender down and set up a shot on the half-volley with his left. Downes flings himself in the way and is hit on the arm from very close range. Chiesa wanted a pen but no chance.

Liverpool fans sing Ngumoha's name as emotional support after he loses the ball cheaply. Awww.

Chiesa bends his shot into the top left from an offside position after a give and go with Ekitike. Chiesa had made it to byline, expecting Ekitike to shoot but he couldn't find the room and gave it back to him. Lovely finish but a good yard offside.

Robinson → Scienza.

Ngumoha beats his man and lengthened his stride to the 18-yard box then funnelled the ball to his right to Frimpong who tried to find Ekitike as he drifted behind his marker but Manning did well on the cover and Southampton welly it out.

Bradley → Jones. Frimpong moves into midfield.

Southampton still enjoying plenty of possession. Ekitike has been frustrated by tight calls when trying to break. And was booked on one of his attempted raids.

Southampton get in down the right, past Robertson and Jelert's cross is punched away by Mamardashvili.

Damion Downs, the sub, is a Germany born USA striker signed from Cologne in the summer. Not to be confused with his homonym Flynn Downes, the midfielder signed from West Han a couple of seasons ago.

Jander is injured. Archer is either to save him for Saturday or tactical.

Endo and Chiesa thwart another Archer-led attack. The Italy winger buts a gut to get back from high on the left while Endo did what Endo does, smothering dribbles with his raw-boned strength and timing of his tackles.

Archer takes the ball to feet, back to goal, 35 yards out, spins and pings a pass down the inside-right channel that just skips away from Scienza to Mamardashvili after he had squeezed between the centre-backs.

Isak was warming down. Ekitike → Isak.

A gift wrapped with a red bow by McCarthy gives Liverpool a lead their performance hasn't really deserved. As to be expected by an ad hoc team of players desperate for proper football and match fitness, they have lacked coherence and cohesion and the defenders, especially Frimpong and Gomez, have made too many mistakes. Southampton have been better than I thought they would be having seen the highlights of their defeat by Hull. But a gulf in class and value is obvious when it comes to taking chances served up on a plate 39 seconds apart.

Liverpool 1 Southampton 0 (Isak) Liverpool exploit a Southampton mistake 40 seconds after Saints failed to make the home side pay for one of theirs. McCarthy, as if still playing for Russell Martin, tries to play out from the back and makes a hash of it, Chiesa wins the ball and tees up Isak who takes the ball in his stride to the right of the penalty shot and drill a shot past the flailing keeper.

What a miss! Scienza misses an open goal with a header from eight yards after Armstrong's chip over the onrushing Mamardashvili hit the bar. Gomez gave the ball straight to Scienza who played it up to Jander and on to Armstrong on the left, 25 yards out. Scienza nods the rebound wide with the keeper on the floor behind him.

Edwards stops Isak gliding down the middle and into shooting range with an arm across his chest.

Edwards pushes out from centre-back to the right wing to try to stop Isak who knocks the ball past him and outsprints him to retrieve it and centre low and hard. Southampton hack it clear.

Mamardashvili uses his height and reach to claim the corner.

Manning roasts Frimpong for the third time tonight and whips over a near-post cross looking for Archer's run. The forward turns turtle as he stoops to head it and misses the ball. Gomez knocks it behind. Just needed a glancing flick.

That's better from Ngumoha who beats Jelert, gets to the byline and crosses deep towards the 18-yard line. Chiesa traps it with a lovely touch then flays a shot that poleaxes the brave Wood who threw himself in its path.

Liverpool free-kick 40 yards out on the left after a foul by Jelert. Robertson takes and bends it invitingly but Liverpool's players are on their heels and Quarshie is unchallenged as he heads it away.

Quick break by Southampton, this one down the right with Jelert and Archer to the fore but Jelert's cross-shot is neither Arthur nor Martha and Mamardashvili deals with it comfortably.

Downes slips and Endo steals the ball away to trigger an attack through Ngumoha that earns his side a corner as they up the tempo. Chiesa is given a short pass and bends over a terrific cross from the left that Liverpool players ignore, preferring to fight for the second ball, which they do and flatten Archer to concede a free-kick.

Isak, though seemingly offside, tees up Chiesa for a rasping right-foot shot from the right of the 18-yard line that McCarthy gets down low to block smartly. There's no VAR in these rounds so it would have counted.

Frimpong drives to the byline when played down the wing by Endo's cute pass but his cut-back is intercepted by Manning and though Chiesa goes down when trying to latch on to the loose ball under Downes' challenge there was no significant contact as Downes angrily informs the referee... and Chiesa. Goal-kick.

Scienza and Archer are caught in Liverpool's offside trap but only by inches after a ball over the inside-right channel. It's the 20th minute so time for the Diogo Jota tribute.

Southampton are trying to switch from 5-3-2 to 3-5-2 when they have the ball and are having some joy consistently down their left with Manning, Scienza and then Armstrong peeling over there.

Manning races past Frimpong but then turns back towards his own midfield and Stepehen Warnock, as well as the travelling fans, groan at his caution. "He's beaten Frimpong, two small centre-halves and he's gone back when the cross was on. Why?" Well, quite.

Southampton look fluent, as if they know what they're doing and believe in it despite all the changes.

Frimpong pelts forward, dribbling the ball with his toe, prodding it a couple of yards ahead then catching up. But when he stops to find Jones or Chiesa he gives the ball to Jander whose break is stopped only by an Endo foul.

Ngumoha hs his first proper run of more than a couple of yards, Billy-Whizzing down the left wing but Jelert's strength forces him and the ball the wrong side of the whitewash as the winger tried to hare down the outside.

Frimpong makes a mistake as he traps a pass high on the right and scrapes it out for a throw-in with his studs.

Nyoni plays Gomez into trouble with a quick back-pass that he wasn't expecting and he pumps his pass into Downes. Saints shift it to the left to Manning who runs into the box and cuts it back to Armstrong who belts a shot that Mamardashvili claws away from the top corner. Good start by Southampton.

One corner brings another, the second headed away by Jones and Jander's shot is straight at Mamardashvili.

Another Southampton counter after a tackle on the dithering Endo allows Archer a chance to cross and Liverpool turn it behind for a corner.

Saints break from the corner and make progress up the right with Scienza whose quick. Liverpool manage to scramble back on the cover.

Liverpool kick off, defending the Kop. The ball goes out as they attack up the right and Southampton have an early throw which the hurl back to McCarthy who plays it out to the right. Armstrong is mugged by Gomez and then Jones who shifts the ball infield and towards the box where Isak pounces, slips the ball into shooting range with his right and hammers a shot that McCarthy turns over the bar.

A minute's silence is impeccably observed for the former Liverpool women's manager whose death at the age of 47 was announced at the weekend.

It's top of the Premier League vs 19th in the Championship. Liverpool are in all red, Saints in yellow and blue.

Watching this one on ITV. What on earth has happened to Emmerdale Farm? It's like Fargo. Where's Mr Wilkes?

Giovanni Leoni is a 21-year-old former Italy U19 international who made 17 Serie A appearances for Parma last season and was bought for about £27m in the summer.

Trey Nyoni made his first-team debut at the age of 16 in an FA Cup tie against Southampton in Januray 2024 and the rangy midfielder made five further cup appearances last season.

(Rio Ngumoha needs little introduction after his dramatic debut against Newcastle)

Liverpool Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Gomez, Leoni, Robertson; Jones, Endo; Chiesa, Nyoni, Ngumoha; Isak.

Substitutes Woodman, Kerkez, Bradley, Ekitike, Williams, Danns, Pilling, Gordon, Morrison.

Southampton McCarthy; Jelert, Edwards, Wood, Quarshie, Manning; Downes, Jander, Scienza; Archer, Armstrong.

Substitutes Long, Harwood-Bellis, Charles, Matsuki, Fraser, Fellows, Robinson, Stewart, Downs.

Referee Thomas Bramall (Sheffield)

From the side that was defeated by Hull on Saturday out go Bazunu, Roerslev, Manning, Stephens, Harwood-Bellis, Azaz, Fellows, Charles, Fraser and Downs. Only Caspar Jander, a summer signing from Nuremburg, keeps his place.

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Good evening and welcome to live coverage of a the third-round League/Carabao Cup tie between Liverpool and Southampton from Anfield. The hosts, who lead the Premier League by five points, have made the past two finals in this competition, beating Chelsea in 2024 to give Jürgen Klopp his last hurrah as a Red Man and, as runners-up last March, giving Newcastle their greatest day out for 56 years. Saints have twice been finalists - defeated by Forest in 1979 and Manchester United in 2017 - but have a good recent pedigree in this cup, making the semis in 2023 and the quarter-final last year when they were knocked out by tonight's opponents in a 2-1 loss at St Mary's.

Yesterday Arne Slot said he would make 11 changes to the team that began the 2-1 win in Saturday's derby but that still means there could be places in the starting XI for eight players who would walk into all but a handful of teams in Europe: a debut for Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal alongside Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa and the £125m man Alexander Isak. There could even be a starting place for Florian Wirtz which only shows the yawning canyon between the haves and have-nots that grows ever wider by the year.

Southampton's new manager Will Still has also been rotating so far in the competition in away victories over Northampton and Norwich and has yet to come up with a settled core of players he can rely on in the Championship over the course of one win, three draws and two defeats in the new campaign that has left them in 19th, and without a win since opening day. He can pick Tom Fellows, though. The forward, who was signed from West Brom for £8m in late August after funds were released by the sale of Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling, played for the Baggies in their round one defeat on penalties by Derby. A new EFL rule implemented this season, however, states a player cannot be cup-tied by appearances made before the transfer window has closed. I understand why the change has been made but would argue that it would be far simpler, fairer and cleaner if the window closes before the season starts.