Isak and Wirtz on Scoresheet as Liverpool Beat Palace
The clock displayed 3.35pm, and The Kop erupted in celebration as Liverpool's number nine was surrounded by his teammates. After 236 days with the club, Alexander Isak finally scored his first home Premier League goal for Liverpool.
Isak opened the scoring in a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace with a shot that bounced on the ground and looped over goalkeeper Dean Henderson into the net.
For the first time in a long period, the Swedish forward, who was signed for a British record £125 million, was visibly pleased on a day marking several firsts for both him and Liverpool.
This was Isak's first goal of 2026 and the first occasion Liverpool secured a home league win in a match he started.
"Did anyone ever think we would say this, eight or nine months ago, that at the end of April, Alexander Isak scored his first Liverpool league goal at Anfield?" asked manager Arne Slot after the game.
"That sums up this season a lot - that an unbelievable striker has had such a long time with injuries.
"It's really nice that he has scored because when we signed him we knew he could score goals."
The question remains whether this goal will represent a turning point for Isak, whose debut season at Anfield has been disrupted by injuries and a dip in form.
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On the corresponding weekend last season, Isak scored for Newcastle United in a victory that contributed to Ipswich Town's relegation. That goal was his 26th of a successful season that helped Eddie Howe's team qualify for the Champions League. He finished that campaign with 27 goals and joined Liverpool just over three months later.
"I want to create history," said Isak after an acrimonious transfer during which he trained separately from Newcastle's first-team squad.
"I want to win trophies. This is the perfect place for me to grow even further and take my game to the next level."
However, the move has been challenging for both player and club. In December, Isak suffered a serious ankle injury, including a fractured fibula. Prior to this, he had been starting in place of Hugo Ekitike, a player many fans believed deserved selection. There were also suggestions that Liverpool struggled to integrate Isak into their system.
Four months later, Isak remains a shadow of his previous form and has yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Liverpool. Against Palace, he had 18 touches and registered one shot, which resulted in his goal, before being substituted by Ryan Gravenberch in the 79th minute.
He has accumulated 1,009 minutes for Liverpool, significantly less than the 3,319 minutes he played for Newcastle last season.
Despite this, pundit Martin Keown expressed optimism about Isak's future prospects.
"It's been a long time coming for someone who cost a British record transfer fee," said three-time Premier League winner Keown during Saturday's Match of the Day.
"But that feeling of celebrating with the home fans is something for him to build on. Isak showed us a little bit of what we thought we'd see from the start of the season.
"If Liverpool can get him fully fit and back to the form he showed at Newcastle, then clearly he's an outstanding player - and someone the club will still have big expectations for.
"With Mohamed Salah leaving in the summer and Hugo Ekitike likely to miss the rest of the calendar year, the Reds are going to need him back to his best."
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'Maybe He Can Start Fresh Next Season' - Fans on Isak
Isak, who signed a six-year contract with Liverpool, is expected to represent Sweden at the World Cup this summer. Some fans believe this international experience could help him regain his form ahead of his second season with the club.
"It hasn't gone so well for him so far," said Mattias Astrom, who traveled from Sweden to Liverpool for the Palace match.
"He needs confidence and he has to score. That's why Liverpool bought him - to score goals. Maybe he can start fresh next season."
Fellow Swede Fredde Andersson added:
"I was excited when Liverpool signed Isak.
"But he's not the player he was at Newcastle last season. Now Hugo Ekitike is injured, maybe he will get more minutes."
Isak has yet to complete a full 90 minutes in a Liverpool shirt.
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