ISAK FINALLY DELIVERS FOR LIVERPOOL
Alexander Isak Fires Liverpool to Victory but Reds’ Attack Still Raises Questions
Alexander Isak has given Liverpool supporters a major reason to smile after scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The Swedish striker struck in the 57th minute to secure three crucial points for Andoni Iraola on his emotional return to his former club.
Isak’s goal came after Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz combined to create the opening, with the final effort taking a deflection before finding the net.
The victory keeps Liverpool unbeaten going into the international break and gives Iraola another important result.
However, the performance was far from convincing.
Liverpool produced only six shots on target and struggled to create consistent attacking pressure for long periods.
Wirtz again found it difficult to influence the game, while the overall attacking structure looked disjointed.
That will concern Iraola despite the result.
Liverpool have enormous attacking quality, but they cannot depend on narrow victories every week if they want to challenge for major trophies.
Isak’s emergence is therefore extremely important.
The striker now has another decisive goal at a crucial moment and appears increasingly comfortable in Liverpool’s system.
The Reds have also secured back-to-back victories after their frustrating draw with Fulham.
Iraola can therefore enjoy the international break knowing his team remain unbeaten.
But the manager will also know Liverpool must improve considerably in attack if they are to dominate matches rather than simply survive them.