After a long wait, Alexander Isak has finally broken his Premier League duck for Liverpool, netting his first goal since his summer move to Anfield. The Reds splashed out a whopping £125 million ($165M) to bring the Swedish international to Merseyside, following his impressive goal-scoring exploits at Newcastle.
His arrival, along with the signings of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and a fresh contract for Mohamed Salah, ignited hopes of an invincible season. However, the team is yet to fully click, as evidenced by their struggles this term.
But the tide seemed to turn when Liverpool clinched victory against West Ham at the London Stadium, fueling optimism that they can build on this win and gather momentum. A solid defensive display was matched by a potent attacking force, with several key players beginning to hit their stride.
Wirtz's pinpoint pass to Cody Gakpo set up Isak to coolly slot home his maiden Premier League goal in Liverpool red - with Gakpo adding a second later in the game.
Following a rocky start to the season for the striker, plagued by injuries, fitness concerns and a general lack of synergy within the squad, there's a feeling he could now be hitting his stride, reports the Mirror.
Isak took to Instagram post-match, sharing a snap of his celebrations, which was met with a flood of support from his fellow Reds in the comments.
Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai both reacted with heart emojis, while Rio Ngumoha and Curtis Jones added fire emojis to their comments.
Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak will be hoping to rediscover his best form at Liverpool after scoring his first Premier League goal (Image: Getty Images)
Isak's elation was palpable in his initial celebration and then again when he celebrated with his teammates, clearly relieved to have finally found the back of the net.
In a chat with Sky Sports, he admitted: "I'm aware that it has been a long time coming and I have been trying to get back to my best form.
"I'm still on the way but I am happy to get that goal. The best feeling today is that we win the game and that is the best way to get a good spirit in the group but of course I am a striker so scoring goals will always help me.
"We have to use this win in a good way but also be humble. We have to stay focused and keep working hard to keep this momentum."
When questioned about Isak's goal drought, Arne Slot defended the star's start at Liverpool, telling the media: "That's also a bit unfair to him because normally as a number nine, I think in general a number nine plays more minutes than I've played Alex until now – because of the obvious reasons.
"So even today I had to take him off after 65, I think. So yes, he's already played quite a lot of games but in terms of minutes not so much.
"And it's very important for us as a team that we went 1-0 up, but I think it was also important for him because I think it was his third chance, fourth of this game, and I don't think there was much more than 10 minutes in him to go. So to score just before you come off was important for us but also for him."
The Reds welcome Sunderland to Anfield for their upcoming encounter, looking to secure another trio of points. Meanwhile, Isak could be presented with the chance to find the back of the net once more and genuinely kickstart his Merseyside adventure.