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As Hugo Ekitike removed his jersey in celebration after scoring a late winner for Liverpool, pretty much everyone apart from the 23-year-old Frenchman appeared to know what was coming next.
Arne Slot's face was a picture of confusion and Jeremie Frimpong could be seen looking at Ekitike incredulously. The striker said he forgot that he was already on a yellow card, but it will cost him being involved against Crystal Palace as a result.
Of course, given that Alexander Isak is still conducting his own mini-pre-season at the moment, Liverpool is short of attacking firepower now Ekitike is missing. And the answer might have to lie in a change of formation.
Isak has started twice so far for Liverpool, playing 58 minutes against Atletico Madrid and then 45 against Southampton. But he was taken off at half-time before the Reds knew that Ekitike was going to get sent off.
That would suggest that he played only half the game midweek because that was the best for his long-term fitness, and it would be unwise to deviate from that road as he continues to get up to speed.
If the plan was for Isak to start against Crystal Palace, Liverpool could go with the Swede. But even then, he isn't going to last the full 90 minutes, and alternatives will be required.
Federico Chiesa, who played well against Southampton, is hoping to earn more minutes in more meaningful matches. But the Italian wasn't even on the bench for the last league game, the Merseyside derby.
Ekitike's suspension should open up a space in the matchday squad, but there is no guarantee that he will be thrown into the number nine role.
If nothing else, it was on the wing where he impressed midweek.
The alternative would be to bring Florian Wirtz back into the team. Normally a number 10, Arne Slot has previously suggested that the German could operate as a false nine, and he has used a 4-4-2 system in the past.
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It was something that Slot experimented with at the back end of last season, and he used it successfully against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in April.
If Isak can't start — or maybe if he lasts part of the game, but not all of it — Liverpool could use that formation again, with Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai a front pairing ahead of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.
Without Ekitike, Liverpool is lacking a little bit at number nine, be it for a smaller or greater portion of the trip to Selhurst Park. In Wirtz, though, Slot has another quality player who should be able to help fill the void.
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