Liverpool needed a moment of quality to settle nerves against Crystal Palace, and it came from Alexander Isak, who finally found the net again after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.
The Sweden international opened the scoring at Anfield and, speaking via Liverpoolfc.com after the 3-1 win, made it clear just how much that goal meant in his ongoing battle to rediscover full fitness.
The 26-year-old has endured a stop-start campaign since his move from Newcastle, and this was only his fifth appearance since returning from a serious injury lay-off, making the strike even more significant.
Reflecting on the goal itself, our No.9 explained how instinct took over in the moment.
“I felt like that shot was not going in so I kind of intercepted it and it became a good touch. Then I managed to put it into the back of the net.”
For a player who has struggled to build rhythm this season, getting back on the scoresheet was a major psychological boost.
“For sure. I’ve been battling getting back to full fitness and obviously scoring a goal is probably the best way to finding your form again. Obviously I’m really happy.”
That response will be encouraging for us, especially after recent criticism from John Aldridge, who suggested the forward looked miles off match fitness, and Chris Sutton’s blunt assessment earlier this week that he wouldn’t touch Isak based on recent displays.
Despite the eventual scoreline, the clash with Palace wasn’t straightforward, something Isak acknowledged when assessing the performance.
“Yeah, of course, Crystal Palace are a good competitor and never an easy game. I think we played well in big parts of the game and maybe it shouldn’t have had to be that nervy at the end.”
The Swedish striker also highlighted the difficulty of breaking down Oliver Glasner’s side, adding: “Crystal Palace are one of the most difficult teams to score against and create chances.
“I think we showed we’ve got the quality – we’ve just got to keep this form.”
Isak even took time to praise Freddie Woodman, whose performance proved crucial in securing the result.
“I think he did absolutely brilliantly… it’s really big from him to be able to put on a performance like this.”
With Champions League qualification within reach, the former Real Sociedad forward believes we’ve put ourselves in a strong position heading into the final stretch.
“It’s still obviously really tight in the table… but I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position to attack these last couple of games.”
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