Liverpool Football Club is a place where dreams are made, where legends are written, and where pressure comes from every corner of the world. This summer, that pressure focused on one man: Alexander Isak. For months, Liverpool fans begged, prayed, and demanded that their club sign a striker who could bring fear to defenders across Europe. After weeks of rumors, negotiations, and frustration, the deal was done on deadline day. Liverpool smashed the British transfer record to sign the Swedish striker from Newcastle United.
The excitement was unreal. Fans flooded Anfield’s gates, shirts with “Isak 9” sold out within hours, and the city buzzed with the feeling that Liverpool had finally brought in the missing piece of their attack. But one question remained: when would Isak make his debut?
That question was answered on Wednesday night in the Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Anfield roared as the tall Swede walked out wearing the red of Liverpool for the first time. For 60 minutes, the crowd saw glimpses of why the club paid so much money. His movement was sharp, his touches neat, and his link-up play with Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz looked promising. It was his first competitive start since May, yet he didn’t look like a man out of shape. He looked ready.
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new manager, admitted after the game that he was surprised by how fit Isak seemed. The Dutchman smiled as he spoke, knowing that the fans had waited so long for this moment. But football is cruel, and it doesn’t stop to celebrate. Liverpool had another mountain to climb just three days later — the Merseyside Derby against Everton.
The Derby is more than a football match. It is a battle of pride, family, and city bragging rights. For decades, Liverpool versus Everton has been a clash where form doesn’t matter, where the atmosphere is hostile, and where players become heroes or villains in a single moment. Many fans believed that Isak, the new star, had to be part of it. They wanted him on the pitch from the first whistle.
But Arne Slot had other thoughts