KIRKBY, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Federico Chiesa and Alexander Isak of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on September 16, 2025 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool FC goes into its game against the Premier League’s only other unbeaten team, Crystal Palace, without its early-season starting striker Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool head coach, Arne Slot, has a decision to make on how he deals with the French striker’s absence on Saturday.
He will likely do so using a combination of Federico Chiesa and Alexander Isak, but how he balances the time played by these two players will be key.
Ekitike was sent off in the midweek Carabao Cup third round matchup against Championship side Southampton. He picked up his second yellow card of the game for taking off his shirt during a goal celebration, having picked up a first for batting the ball away after giving away a free kick.
The goal Ekitike scored happened to be the winner and saw Liverpool through to the next round of the cup, but it was a disappointing moment from the striker aside from that.
It left his team in trouble for the remainder of that game, and will now leave it light up top against Palace, as the red card means he will be suspended.
Slot’s Reaction
After the game against Southampton, the Liverpool manager described Ekitike’s two yellow cards as “needless” and “stupid”.
It is not very often a coach will criticise his player rather than look to question the referee’s decisions, but there was no defending Ekitke in this instance.
“The first yellow card was needless and, to a certain extent, stupid, because you have to control your emotions,” Slot said of the incident.
“It is hard if you play in the Premier League, or any league, if you are a No. 9. The defender can almost do everything they want [and get away with it], but when you shirt-pull a little bit, or you push them a little bit, then you get a free-kick against you.
“But it is always best to try to control your emotions, and if you cannot control your emotions, do it in a way that doesn’t lead to a yellow card.”
Ekitike’s celebration saw him remove his shirt and hold it up to the crowd so they could see his name, but Slot said he should have reacted differently.
“If you score in a Champions League final in the 87th minute, after outplaying three defenders and hitting it into the top corner, I can maybe understand that you’re like — ‘This is all about me,’” said Slot.
“But I am old-fashioned. I haven’t played at this level, but I did score a few goals, and if I scored a goal like this, I would have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa [who assisted the goal] and said, ‘This goal is all about you, this is not about me.’”
Some of the other criticisms of Ekitike following this incident have been over the top, but the 23-year-old will learn from it. Slot’s words and the trouble he’s put his teammates in will make sure he does.
Chiesa or Isak?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Federico Chiesa, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong of Liverpool are greeted by fans as they take to the field ahead of the warm up prior to the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Isak arrived at the club this summer for a club-record transfer fee of $170 million, but is not yet match fit due to playing no games while the transfer saga played out.
Slot commented on Wednesday that, in terms of his fitness, Isak is effectively still playing his own pre-season, and hinted that he might not be fully match fit until after the next international break next month.
“You can already see that he can help us,” said Slot. “But he will be at his best when he comes back, hopefully, from the Swedish national team, having stayed fit, played many minutes for them, and having played a few minutes for us in the upcoming weeks.
“Then, I think after that, his pre-season will have ended, and we can expect even more from him. But up to now, I’m very happy with what I’ve seen.”
The Swede played 45 minutes in the Southampton game, having been taken off at halftime after scoring his first goal for the club in the first half.
Chiesa, on the other hand, played the full 90 minutes and set up both Isak’s and Ekitike’s goals in a Man of the Match performance.
Ideally, Slot would not start Chiesa again in the quick Wednesday-Saturday turnaround, so it could be a case of another 45 minutes or so for Isak from the start, with Chiesa replacing him at some point in the second half.
This would seem to be the best way to continue Isak’s slow but sure return to match fitness, and also capitalise on Chiesa’s good form in the hope he can contribute once again against Crystal Palace.
Even though they have won five games out of five in the league this season, this could be a tricky away trip to London for Liverpool, but if Isak and Chiesa can contribute as planned, they could inflict Palace’s first defeat in 18 games.
Liverpool’s possible starting 11 against Crystal Palace
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool look on prior to the second pre-season friendly match between Liverpool and Athletic Club Bilbao at Anfield on August 04, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Alisson; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Isak, Gakpo.