Tim Howard says there should be a rule change in football after what happened to Liverpool player

Liverpool this season has been a story full of joy, pain, drama and moments that make football what it is. They are still at the top of the Premier League table, still the team everyone is chasing, but the road has not been smooth. There have been nights of brilliance, there have been moments where they look untouchable, but there have also been silly mistakes and shocking scenes that leave the fans asking questions. And one of the biggest talking points this season came in a Carabao Cup tie, a third-round match that would normally pass quietly without much attention, but instead turned into the kind of night people will still remember when they talk about the unpredictable nature of football. The name at the centre of it all was Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool’s young French striker who has quickly become one of the most important signings under Arne Slot, and the man who has carried the attack on his shoulders since arriving at Anfield. But in that game against Southampton, he let his emotions get the better of him, scoring a goal and then celebrating by removing his shirt, which earned him a red card and left Liverpool with ten men. A moment that should have been pure joy turned into controversy, and now even legends of the game like Tim Howard are calling for football to change the rules because of what happened to Ekitike.

The truth is Liverpool’s season has been shaped by the weight of expectation. Arne Slot came in after Klopp, lifted the Premier League title in his first season, and then entered this campaign with a squad that had been heavily strengthened. Richard Hughes and Slot spent over £400 million in the summer window, bringing in players like Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, and Federico Chiesa. It was supposed to be the year Liverpool not only defended their Premier League crown but also chased the Champions League with full force. The media hailed them as the strongest Liverpool team since 2019, and the fans filled Anfield every week with songs of belief. And yet, football does not follow the script. For every dominant win against Everton or Burnley, there have been games where mistakes and emotions cost them dearly. And no moment showed that more than the night against Southampton, when Hugo Ekitike, who had been one of the bright stars of the season, saw red for something as small as taking off his shirt.

The image of Ekitike celebrating wildly, full of passion, ripping off his shirt as he felt the joy of the Anfield crowd, only to see the referee pull out the yellow card and then the red, has become one of the iconic pictures of Liverpool’s season. It was the kind of celebration that fans love, the kind of moment that makes you feel football is alive, but the rulebook said otherwise. The rules of the game are clear: remove your shirt and you get a booking. Ekitike had already been on a yellow, so the second card came out and with it the dismissal. The Frenchman’s face went from delight to despair in a matter of seconds. He apologised immediately to Arne Slot, to his teammates, and later to the fans on social media, writing that he had let emotions carry him away and promising it would never happen again. And yet, the debate did not end there. Former Everton and USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard, now a pundit, came out strongly and said football needs to change. For him, the rule is outdated, pointless, and unfair.

Speaking on the Unfiltered Soccer Podcast, Howard’s words carried weight. He asked a simple but powerful question: should this rule still be around? He went on to explain that it makes no sense to punish a player for showing passion. He said football has many silly celebrations that do not get punished, so why is taking your shirt off treated as a crime? He argued that the original reason for the rule was players showing undershirts with political or offensive messages, but that could be dealt with directly. If a player throws their shirt into the crowd or shows a slogan, fine, give them a card. But if they just take it off to celebrate, bare-chested, or wearing a plain undershirt, Howard said it should not be a problem. He called it a stupid rule, one that kills the joy of the game. For him, football should celebrate emotions, not punish them. And after Ekitike’s red card, many fans agreed. Social media exploded with debates, with some saying rules are rules and players should know better, while others supported Howard, arguing that football needs more common sense.

For Liverpool, though, the consequences were real. Ekitike’s suspension meant he missed the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, and the Reds suffered for it. They went to Selhurst Park and lost 2-1, a game where they badly missed their striker. Federico Chiesa equalised late in the 91st minute, giving Liverpool hope of a comeback, but Marc Guehi and Palace had been dominant all afternoon. Guehi showed again why he is considered one of the best defenders in the league, dealing with Liverpool’s attacks and keeping their big names quiet. In the end Palace deserved their victory, and Liverpool walked away knowing that without Ekitike leading the line they lacked a true cutting edge. The irony is that Ekitike was missing because of a rule many believe should not even exist. One silly celebration, one moment of emotion, had left Liverpool weaker in a key league match. That is why the debate about changing the rule feels so alive, because the consequences are not just about one player, they affect entire teams and even seasons.

Hugo Ekitike has been a revelation at Liverpool so far. Signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, he has adapted quickly to the Premier League. Strong, quick, technically gifted, he has been the kind of striker that fits perfectly into Arne Slot’s attacking system. Fans have already begun singing his name, comparing him to legends of Anfield past, and some even calling him the future of Liverpool’s forward line. To see him reduced to tears after the red card was painful for many supporters, because they knew it was not about arrogance or disrespect, it was just passion. And passion is what Liverpool thrives on. From the days of Gerrard to the nights of Salah, Anfield is built on emotion. To see a player punished for showing it felt wrong to many.

But football is about lessons, and now Ekitike has to prove his worth once again. He has apologised, he has admitted his mistake, but words are not enough. The fans will expect him to bounce back with goals, to show that his hunger can be channelled in the right way. Arne Slot, too, will want to see him respond positively, because Liverpool cannot afford any more distractions. The Champions League campaign is already looking dangerous after the defeat in Istanbul to Galatasaray, and in the Premier League Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are waiting to capitalise on any slip-up. Every game now matters, and Liverpool need their striker focused, disciplined, and ruthless.

The debate about rule changes will go on. Tim Howard has made his point, and many agree. Football’s lawmakers, FIFA and IFAB, may not listen, because they rarely change rules quickly. But moments like Ekitike’s red card put pressure on them. Already fans and pundits are asking why players can backflip, knee-slide on dangerous turf, climb into crowds, and do all sorts of risky celebrations without punishment, yet simply taking a shirt off leads to a booking. It feels inconsistent, it feels unfair, and it feels like the kind of rule that belongs to another era. Football is meant to be joy, and joy should not be punished.

For Liverpool, the story continues. They beat Everton, they beat Burnley, but the Palace defeat hurt. Now with Ekitike back, the focus is on whether he can put things right, whether he can score the goals that keep Liverpool top of the table, whether he can silence the critics who say young players cannot handle pressure. The Frenchman knows the eyes of the football world are on him now, not because of his skills alone but because of one mistake that turned into a bigger conversation. He is part of a team that has cost over £400 million to build, a team expected to dominate, and he knows that at Liverpool there is no hiding place. One game you are a hero, the next you are under fire. That is the reality of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

And so the story of Hugo Ekitike’s red card is no longer just about a Carabao Cup tie. It is about the rules of football, about the balance between discipline and passion, about the fine line between joy and punishment. It is about Liverpool’s fight to remain at the top despite setbacks. It is about how one moment can change the narrative of a season. Tim Howard’s words have added fuel to the fire, and the debate will not end soon. For now, though, the Frenchman has only one job: to score goals, to prove his worth, and to make sure that when history looks back at this season, the story is not about a silly red card but about a striker who carried Liverpool to glory.