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Arne Slot believed that Alexander Isak put forth “quite a good performance” in his first Premier League start for Liverpool .
Following weeks of tense standoffs and fierce negotiations, Liverpool and Newcastle finally reached agreement on a record-breaking £125 million ($169M) deal that brought Isak to Anfield on deadline day.
The 26-year-old came off the bench against Everton, but had yet to receive a starting nod in the league entering Saturday following appearances versus Atletico Madrid (Champions League) and Southampton (League Cup).
After Slot conceded on Friday that 90 minutes may be too much to ask from Isak, The Reds boss played him 84 minutes in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace — which came courtesy of Eddie Nketiah's last-minute winner.
“That had a lot to do with the low intensity of the game,” Slot told reporters. “If you face a low block, 10 players in and around their own 18-yard box, when they have to do build-up the goalkeeper takes a little bit of time before he kicks it long, then there's hardly any intensity in the game.
“So in a more open game where both teams want to press high and want to do build-up and you have to run a lot as a nine to press the other team, then you might not play him for 84.
“But in a game like this — which was low-tempo, I think I can say that, with some bursts of counter-attacks from them — then your No. 9 is mainly not so involved.”
“He was close to a goal. He was very honest to stay on his feet — he got a little bit of a shirt pull and that's why he was unbalanced when he had to shoot and that maybe was just enough, [a] smart little push to get him unbalanced.
"But he came closer and closer to a goal, but in the end he didn't score. Quite a good performance from him.”
Isak struggled to find his footing from the opening whistle, managing to complete just one pass in the first half.
Once the dust had finally settled on Liverpool’s first Premier League loss of the 2025 campaign, he amassed three shots off target, two big chances missed and zero goals or assists.
Though Isak’s stats didn’t exactly jump off the page, Slot asserted that he was still pleased with his showing. “He was close to a goal,” Slot said.
“He was very honest to stay on his feet — he got a little bit of a shirt pull and that's why he was unbalanced when he had to shoot and that maybe was just enough, [a] smart little push to get him unbalanced.
“But he came closer and closer to a goal, but in the end he didn't score. Quite a good performance from him.”
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