Alexander Isak’s Liverpool Career Starts Now

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“It’s really nice that he scored one because when we signed him we knew he could score goals and that’s what he showed today,” Slot said about Isak who will have even more onus placed on him for the rest of the season now that Mohamed Salah is expected to be injured for the next few matches.

“Many times this season we’ve had better chances than we had today, that’s why it’s also important to have players that can score also goals like this, because that can give you a big lift in a game. That is what we’ve missed for eight or nine months because he wasn’t available and when he was available, as we all know, he was available but wasn’t at the level he can be.”

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: Alexander Isak of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield on September 23, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

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Liverpool is a work-in-progress. Salah will depart the club this summer, meaning the Reds will start next season without the legendary right winger in the forward line. This will be a challenge to adapt to life after Salah, but the silver lining is that it will open up a number of options in the attacking third.

It’s possible Liverpool could remould the team on the pitch to accommodate Ekitike and Isak as a front two. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez could be deployed as wing backs with a summer move for a new centre back potentially making a shift to a back three a natural way forward.

Question marks over Slot’s future are still to be addressed. There is also doubt over Liverpool’s front office with Mark Hughes linked with Saudi Arabia. This summer could be a transformative one, but Isak will have a headstart on making sure his second season is better than his debut one.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com