Angry Alexander Isak caught echoing Harry Kane complaint on miserable return
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Alexander Isak was left fuming with the Kosovo goalkeeper during Sweden's 2-0 loss on Monday, mirroring Harry Kane's recent annoyance over soccer's eight-second rule.
Incensed by the Kosovan's tactics, an irate Isak voiced his objection to the referee, but to no effect.
Former Tottenham star Kane can certainly empathise, having expressed similar irritation when the eight-second rule wasn't followed during England's 2-0 win over Andorra on Saturday.
The newly introduced FIFA-approved eight-second rule penalises goalkeepers with a corner awarded against them if they hold onto the ball for too long, being introduced in the Premier League this season.
Isak's return was far from triumphant as Sweden suffered a shocking defeat to 95th-ranked Kosovo in their second World Cup qualifier.
It wasn't the only contentious moment involving Isak, despite the forward only entering the fray in the 72nd minute.
The British record signing, who didn't have a full pre-season due to his refusal to play for Newcastle in order to secure his move to Liverpool, also received a booking after a clash with Kosovo's Fidan Aliti, reports the Mirror.
The frustrations were palpable for all to see when, towards the end of the match, Isak expressed his annoyance at the referee for not enforcing the rule about goalkeepers holding the ball for too long.
While the rule has been enforced domestically - with Burnley's keeper Martin Dubravka recently falling foul of it - it seems the regulation might already be losing its hold in international matches.
Isak will undoubtedly be keen to bounce back quickly and make a more positive first impression when he returns to Liverpool later this week ahead of their trip to Burnley.
While fans will be hoping the striker can make an immediate impact for Liverpool, his limited playing time and training over the summer means Hugo Ekitike is expected to retain his starting spot.
Following his non-appearance in Sweden's 2-2 draw with Slovenia and only playing a little over 15 minutes against Kosovo, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson explained to Viaplay that these decisions were due to Isak's fitness levels compared to the rest of the squad.
He said: "He had only done three training sessions with the team." On the other hand, Isak is thrilled to be back on the pitch after experiencing the "fairly new situation" of being sidelined at Newcastle.
He added: "It's great that everything was settled before the camp and that I could focus on playing football again