Alexander Isak has made his first appearance since his £125million move to Liverpool, but the striker was left fuming at the end of Sweden's 2-0 loss to Kosovo
Alexander Isak gestures on the pitch
Alexander Isak was unhappy at the eight second rule not being enforced
(Image: X)
Alexander Isak was left seething with the Kosovo goalkeeper during Sweden's 2-0 defeat, echoing Harry Kane's recent grievance over the eight-second rule. The forward, fresh from his £125million move to Liverpool, lost his cool over his opponent's time-wasting antics, while he was booed by rival fans.
Late in the game, the new Reds recruit was spotted counting eight seconds on his fingers as former Manchester City keeper Arijanet Muric took his time to release the ball. Infuriated by the Kosovan's tactics, a livid Isak voiced his protest to the referee, but to no avail.
Ex-Tottenham star Kane can certainly relate, having expressed similar frustration when the eight-second rule wasn't adhered to during England's 2-0 victory over Andorra on Saturday. The newly implemented FIFA-approved eight-second rule penalises goalkeepers with a corner given against them if they hold onto the ball for too long, being introduced in the Premier League this season.
Isak's comeback was far from joyous 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 striker 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 evident for everyone to witness when, towards the end of the game, Isak voiced his anger at the official for failing to enforce the regulation regarding goalkeepers holding the ball for too long.
Whilst this regulation has been applied domestically - with Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka recently caught out - it appears the rule might already be losing its grip in international fixtures.
Isak will undoubtedly be eager to recover quickly and create a more positive initial impact when he returns to Liverpool later this week before their journey to Burnley. The Reds will make the trip to face the Clarets on Sunday afternoon for a 2pm kick-off, though Isak is expected to start on the bench.
Should he be introduced, it would mark his first Premier League appearance since his acrimonious departure from Newcastle. Isak's behaviour has turned him into a villain amongst Magpies fans, but following Sweden's defeat, he maintained that people weren't aware of the complete account of his transfer situation.
"Not everyone has the full picture, but that's something for another day. I can't control everything that's said or written. But I'm happy that I became a Liverpool player," he said.
Alexander Isak of Sweden during the warm up during the match between Slovenia v Sweden at the Stadium Stozice on September 5, 2025 in Ljubljana Slovenia.
Isak is working towards his return to full fitness after missing pre-season
Whilst supporters will be hoping the striker can make an immediate impact for Liverpool, his limited playing time and training over the summer means Hugo Ekitike, who this week expressed his delight at Isak's arrival, is expected to keep his starting berth.
Following his absence from Sweden's 2-2 stalemate with Slovenia and receiving just over 15 minutes against Kosovo, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson explained to Viaplay that these choices were down to Isak's fitness levels compared to his team-mates.
He said: "He had only done three training sessions with the team." Meanwhile, Isak is delighted to be back in action after experiencing the "fairly new situation" of being frozen out at Newcastle.
He added: "It's great that everything was settled before the camp and that I could focus on playing football again. It's been a fairly new situation for me, but you always learn and develop mentally off the pitch as well."