Alexander Isak's display vs Crystal Palace offers hope of brighter Liverpool future
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That it took the best part of seven months for the striker to net his first Premier League goal at Anfield perfectly encapsulates the issues of Isak’s first-year struggles at Liverpool.Given his injury-plagued, stop-start spell on Merseyside, some fans may feel pleased to have even witnessed one home goal from the Premier League’s most expensive-ever signing. It’s fair to say he has not quite yet managed to repay the lavish fee that Liverpool parted with to secure his services last summer.READ MORE: Arne Slot launches passionate post-match rant after Oliver Glasner comments on Daniel Munoz goalREAD MORE: Salah injury, Isak scores, controversial Palace goal - 6 talking points vs Crystal PalaceThen again, would the Reds be sitting so comfortably in the Champions League places if it weren’t for his vital goals against West Ham, Tottenham and Crystal Palace?At the very least, it’s a start for a player determined to justify his price tag.
Nearly a year to the day since his last home Premier League goal for Newcastle, the Swede perfectly cushioned Alexis Mac Allister’s wayward shot and, while turning, bounced an effort perfectly up and over Dean Henderson in the away goal.If the finish was a tad fortuitous, he’s owed a lucky break.“When we signed him we knew he could score goals and that’s what he showed today,” said Arne Slot after the 3-1 victory over Palace. Just 18 touches in 79 minutes may seem alarmingly low, yet it represents a vast improvement on recent weeks.Clearly, he and his Liverpool team-mates are still building that on-field relationship, but starting a third consecutive game alongside Wirtz offers encouragement for next season, when much more will be demanded of the club’s two record signings.“I think it is important that we feed him [Isak] with balls,” the German acknowledged post-match, speaking to LFCTV.Wirtz also looked more accomplished against Palace(Image: (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images))“If he is just there up top alone, then it is hard for him to score goals.
I think he needs the balls to score them and, as you saw today, if he gets a chance, he normally scores.”For his part, this was much more like the Wirtz that Liverpool and Slot want to see. A constant nuisance, the 22-year-old floated across the pitch, picking out gaps in the Palace rearguard.It was his pass that launched the breakaway for Liverpool’s second goal, before he grabbed a first league strike in nearly three months in the final stages.