It took less than a minute for Alexander Isak to show Anfield exactly what he is about.
Barely seconds into Liverpool’s Carabao Cup third-round clash with Southampton, the Swedish striker latched onto possession, strode forward with intent and unleashed a fierce effort goalwards. Alex McCarthy, full stretch, managed to tip it over the bar. It was an early warning of what was to come.
Forty minutes later, McCarthy had no escape. Isak’s movement and composure were rewarded as he found the net for the first time in a Liverpool shirt, wheeling away in celebration to mark what many supporters hope will be the beginning of a prolific Anfield career.
The goal capped a lively first half for the 24-year-old before he was withdrawn at the break. From the bench, Isak watched his fellow summer arrival Hugo Ekitike come on to grab the winner late on — and then undo his hard work by collecting a second yellow card for an overzealous celebration.
Still, the 2-1 victory ensured Liverpool’s passage into the fourth round of the competition they are bidding to win for a record-extending 11th time. And for Slot, there was satisfaction in seeing both of his new strikers hit the net on the same night.
The debate around how Slot will keep two high-profile centre-forwards happy will rage on, but Tuesday night showed there are worse dilemmas to face. Both Isak and Ekitike delivered when called upon, while Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz were afforded a rare night off.
It underlines the depth of attacking talent now at Slot’s disposal. Yet Liverpool still left it late once again. Ekitike’s 86th-minute strike was the sixth time in seven matches this season the Reds have scored a decisive goal in the final 10 minutes. That trait, while thrilling, also points to a side still searching for fluency hardly surprising given Slot made 11 changes to the team that beat Everton in the Merseyside derby.
For Isak, there is an added layer of scrutiny. After an acrimonious Newcastle United exit and a summer transfer saga that dominated headlines, he now carries the weight of being Liverpool’s British record signing.
The expectation is clear: big-money forwards are judged on goals, and quickly. By finding the net at Anfield, he has broken the ice, easing the pressure as his fitness continues to build.
Slot acknowledged as much afterwards, stressing that Isak’s pre-season preparations had been far from ideal.
“Yeah, it’s nice because it’s only six or seven days ago when he made his debut. I just asked, ‘Was it two weeks ago when we played Burnley?’ He said, ‘No, it was only one week ago.’ So, time goes so fast that sometimes you don’t understand how long it took. But we got him not in the best circumstances in terms of match fitness, so we have to build it up.”
That has meant carefully managing his minutes, with no 90-minute appearances yet.
“The downside to that is that you cannot play a player 90 minutes and if you only play him 45 or 30 or again like today 45, it might then normally take a while before he scores his first goal because we can all understand if you play a player three times 90, it’s a bigger chance that he scores a goal than when you play him 45, 30, 45.”
Slot, ever candid, was quick to remind everyone of the context.
“He’s the British record signing and there’s hardly anyone talks about this so maybe it’s smart for me to talk about this! So there will be then pressure on if he takes a while to score a goal, because he’s the record British signing no-one says this, so I repeat it!”
That pressure will only intensify on bigger occasions, but Slot insists patience is key.
“I think the best moment to start to see where he is and how much he can help us you can already see that he can help us but the best [will be] when he comes back hopefully from the Swedish national team, when he stayed fit, played there many minutes, plays for us in the upcoming weeks a few minutes. Then I think after that then his pre-season has ended and we can expect even more from him. But until now I’m very happy with what I’ve seen from him.”
Liverpool supporters have seen expensive strikers settle at different speeds. Fernando Torres hit the ground running, Luis Suárez took months before exploding, while Darwin Núñez required patience and guidance after a stop-start beginning.
For Isak, the early signs are encouraging. His movement is sharp, his finishing instinctive, and he looks comfortable in the shirt despite the circumstances surrounding his transfer. By opening his account quickly, he has removed one source of external pressure and given supporters a glimpse of what he can bring.
Liverpool may not have been at their slickest against Southampton, but the evening provided two things Slot would have wanted above all: progression in the competition and goals from his two new strikers. If Isak’s first was about arrival, then the task now is to turn it into the first of many.
