Alexander Isak's Liverpool Struggle: A Turning Point
Alexander Isak says the worst of his Liverpool struggle is over. On a cool Friday night at Portman Road, he played like it.
Nine minutes. Two ruthless finishes. A 2-0 win at Ipswich. And suddenly a forward who spent last season fighting his own body looks like the record-breaking signing Liverpool thought they were getting.
This is the same Alexander Isak who arrived for a British-record £125 million from Newcastle United and then limped through his first campaign at Anfield: four goals in 22 appearances, stop-start, never fully free. On Friday, he moved to three goals in three Premier League games this season.
“It was not easy. It was a long injury, a difficult season in general,” the Sweden striker told Sky Sports. “I was thinking: I want to have a good World Cup firstly and then to start the season well, which I feel like I've done now. That season is kind of behind me, but it wasn't easy.”
Andoni Iraola's Reign
For Andoni Iraola, it was the night his Liverpool reign finally found a result to match the intent. Two games, no wins, a new manager feeling the weight of expectation. Then Ipswich, and Isak, provided the release.
Isak’s double delivered Iraola his first victory as Liverpool boss at the third attempt, and the coach sounded utterly convinced this is only the beginning.
“Yes, with Alex, if he is fit, if he is available, if he is in good shape, I think he will produce the numbers,” Iraola said. “My demands with Alex will not be about the goals, probably will be about other things. I will demand other things so we can play well, because if we play well we are in good positions and the goals will come.
“He has to contribute towards the collective and knowing when everyone helps, after the goals and assists will come.”
Performance Highlights
Isak will dominate the headlines, but Cody Gakpo quietly stitched the whole performance together. Twice he split Ipswich open, twice Isak cashed in.
The first assist was all about timing: a sharp, angled through-ball that let Isak stride in and finish. The second, even better, came in the ninth minute, an outside-of-the-foot pass that curved perfectly into the striker’s path. Two chances, two goals, game virtually done before Ipswich could settle.
That Gakpo was even on the pitch in a Liverpool shirt this weekend is a story in itself. Tottenham and Manchester City both pushed to sign the Netherlands international before the transfer deadline. Liverpool simply refused to entertain it.
Iraola sounded like a man who never doubted the club’s stance.
“I had no doubt with Cody. He has been very good all the preseason, has started very well the season, producing numbers,” he said. “After the two assists, he finished as a number nine to help us close the game and I think it's good to have Cody because he can play in the three positions up top. To have him in this place, for the beginning of the season, it's good.
“I think Cody knows how much we value him, I think there is no doubt. I rate him very highly.”
New Signings
There was another expensive new face in the squad. France winger Bradley Barcola, signed this week from Paris Saint-Germain for £123 million, began the night on the bench. Iraola waited until the 64th minute to introduce him, giving the 21-year-old a first taste of English football in a controlled environment with Liverpool already in command.
By then, the damage had long been done. Ipswich had chased, pressed, tried to drag themselves back into it, but Isak’s early burst had killed the jeopardy. Liverpool managed the rest, with Gakpo shifting inside to lead the line and the visitors seeing out the contest with a minimum of drama.
For Isak, this felt like more than just three points. It felt like a line in the sand. The injury-ravaged first season, the questions over the fee, the doubts about whether he could carry Liverpool’s attack – all of it, at least for now, pushed into the background by two cold, clinical finishes.
If this is the version of Isak Iraola gets “fit, available, in good shape,” as he put it, then Liverpool’s attack suddenly looks terrifying again. And with Gakpo staying put and Barcola now in the building, how high can this front line push the ceiling of Iraola’s first season at Anfield?
