Now witness the firepower of this absolutely operational Dying Star. 4 months, one document switch and an infinite rolling multiverse of web rage since his final membership recreation, Alexander Isak has now lastly rematerialised in bodily type.
As rust-laden, non-goalscoring membership debuts go, Isak's 57 minutes at Anfield made for an enchanting spectacle. Partially for the sheer occasion glamour, the rubbernecking side, like witnessing a private look at a purchasing centre by your favorite controversial actuality TV star. But additionally for the sheer information overload in a thrillingly open recreation dotted with wildness: from a Diego Simeone crowd‑surf purple‑card climax, to the infinite tactical complexities that proceed to circulate from Arne Slot's makes an attempt to re-gear his Liverpool staff alongside these giddily attacking strains.
The important thing takeaway: it's going to be open. There will likely be excessive‑wire power. There will likely be an avalanche of objectives. There will even be intervals of vulnerability, as there was at Anfield, the place for a minimum of an hour after the opening 10 minutes it felt like Atlético Madrid have been mainly profitable the sport.
And since that is soccer there was even time for some comedy. 9 minutes into his debut, with Liverpool already 2‑0 up, Isak nonetheless hadn't touched the ball. Perhaps, the thought occurred, he's by no means going to the touch the ball. They'll win the treble and he'll by no means contact the ball, simply do a whole lot of peripheral operating about whereas soccer occurs close by, probably the most complicated glory-laden 55-game season ever staged, maybe some form of one-man act of protest in opposition to the spectacle.
Within the occasion Isak did contact the ball, his first as a Liverpool participant a wayward return cross to Ryan Gravenberch. His second was a second of genuine muscle reminiscence, a glide and a snipe sideways previous Conor Gallagher. In between he lurked within the centre, asserting his personal gravity. He seemed good. Egg yolk boots, white ankle wraps, purple No 9 shirt. Isak has a particular and endearing physicality, gangly legs, delicate, tender brown eyes, the shark‑like method of shifting.
How good is he? No person actually is aware of. Isak doesn't know. This can be a footballer in state of mid‑profession bloom, reaching up in direction of his personal ceiling. There has even been a level of pshawing already, pursed lips on the worth positioned on a footballer with two good goalscoring seasons. However Isak's worth lies in his rarity.
The explanation there are fewer specialist goalscorers is as a result of being a specialist goalscorer isn't sufficient. The position is a lot extra complicated. We'd like a finisher. However you'll additionally need to be a staff cog, press unit, cross rotator, endurance athlete, digester of knowledge. And do all this from the earliest age simply to get by means of the pathways when nobody is aware of if anybody is any good, so the metrics need to be ticked off.
Isak has all this, or has had it to date. Right here he had his greatest spell near half-time. With 38 minutes gone he took a cross from Florian Wirtz, half-turned and shot with no backlift, correct striker stuff, a aim Isak will rating when he isn't coming off 4 months out. From the identical spot moments later he yawned inside and shot once more.
There was a stunning give and go, a nudged return cross to Wirtz. And of the 2 issues price saying about Isak's debut this was the large optimistic. He introduced the most effective out of Mohamed Salah, though this was much less steadiness or interaction, extra an act of standing assertion, alpha-dom. With six minutes gone Salah had a aim and, technically, an help, his free-kick deflected in off Andy Robertson. Salah's aim was a stunning factor, a glimpse of his capacity to color these tiny miniatures, the Sistine Chapel on a grain of rice, jostled by three defenders, toes battering the turf, going proper, left, then into the far nook.
after publication promotion
Salah has had a drop‑off, has maybe missed Trent Alexander‑Arnold, moping a bit, like a labrador pining for its departed proprietor. This was a glimpse of precise Salah, the identical tremendous slick nightmare of energy and velocity on the fitting. Isak mixed extra overly with Wirtz, and whereas this concerned fairly just a few errant passes and mistimed runs it was nonetheless progress.
The opposite aspect of this was that openness behind midfield. Each recreation Wirtz performs as a No 10 it'll depart the chance of the midfield pivot being outnumbered. And Atlético have been at all times on this recreation, roused by Simeone showing on the touchline diffusing his personal distinctive major‑character power: Soprano-style black go well with, unusual scary hair, eyes like globs of mercury, a jawline you can grate cheese on. Even Simeone's sneakers are scary. The place do you purchase sneakers like that? On a submarine? At a secret arms seller conference corridor?
Atlético pulled it again to 2-2, earlier than happening to Virgil van Dijk's late winner. Slot will wrestle with these questions of steadiness and openness. For now he also can bask within the potentialities.
