You can put your shirt on Al after this...

EKITIKE MADNESS GIFTS ISAK INSTANT CHANCE TO BUILD ON CONFIDENCE OF FIRST REDS GOAL

- By MARK JONES

Given the performances of one and the price tag of the other, we've quickly come to expect that we will see Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike chopping and changing in the Liverpool attack. Just not like this.

After Ekitike replaced Isak at halftime against Southampton, he would then give the Swede his starting berth back with his daft late red for removing his shirt after scoring the winner that put Liverpool through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup at Southampton's expense.

Isak will now, you'd think, start at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, and Arne Slot is sure to be annoyed at the lack of a secondary option in attack thanks purely to a moment of madness.

Isak, after all, is probably not yet up to speed to play 90 minutes in the Premier League, but he might well be asked to do so at the home of a team who are unbeaten in 17 matches on Saturday.

"I'll be very surprised if he does it again," said Andy Robertson to the television cameras afterwards when admonishing Ekitike, while he also labelled the forward "silly" for his actions.