Has Isak finally found form at Liverpool? Winner at Bournemouth gives Iraola hope

BOURNEMOUTH, England -- As Liverpool striker Alexander Isak watched his mishit cross veer erratically out of play at AFC Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium, ironic jeers rained down on him from the stands.

Minutes later, the Sweden international was the subject of adulation -- not ire -- from the away section of the crowd after netting what turned out to be the winning goal in his side's hard-fought 1-0 Premier League victory Sunday.

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The sequence was a microcosm of the life of a striker and a timely reminder of why the Reds broke the British transfer record to sign Isak from Newcastle United little more than 12 months ago.

Up until that point, it had largely been a drab, laborious slog for Andoni Iraola's side on their head coach's return to his former club. The Reds' expensively assembled attack had looked devoid of a spark, with Isak virtually anonymous at the Vitality Stadium ... until he wasn't.

With the clock ticking toward the hour mark, Cody Gakpo's cross bobbled into the path of the forward, who finished with aplomb before charging toward the elated away end. The hearty embrace he received from the visiting supporters felt symbolic. After the most turbulent of debut seasons, there can now be no doubting that Isak is a Liverpool player.

"A striker's job is like this," Iraola said in his postmatch news conference. "He had a couple of crosses that he did not hit properly or control but in the end he has to help us to be closer to the box, to play in the opposition's half and have more meaningful possession. And then if the team is playing there, he will receive rewards in terms of goals."

Indeed, Isak's tally of four Premier League goals has already exceeded his haul from the entirety of last term (three). In the 81 minutes he played against Bournemouth, the 26-year-old had 34 touches and completed just 11 of his 16 attempted passes. Ultimately, though, it is immaterial what he does outside of the penalty area if he can continue showing the kind of proficiency that has characterized the early weeks of his season.

Of course, the fact that Isak was given the platform to go on and win the game owed much to the robustness of Liverpool's defense. For the first time since the beginning of Arne Slot's tenure in August and September 2024, the Reds have kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League, with summer signing Jérémy Jacquet impressing once again on the south coast.

At the end of a week that saw him earn his first senior callup to the France national team, the 21-year-old continued his outstanding start at the heart of Liverpool's back line. Jacquet appeared bashful as he accepted the official Player of the Match Award at the full-time whistle but, as intimated by center back partner Virgil van Dijk, it will be the first of many accolades handed to the young defender if he continues on his current trajectory.

"I'm happy for him as he also received his first international callup," Iraola said. "He's also happy. He's also very young and adapted really well to the Premier League. The first games, he was physically feeling the change of rhythm ... I had to sub him. Today has been a step forward. He looked solid until the end. I think he's in a good place physically, and I hope he can continue his development."

For Iraola, too, this was a good day at the office. He goes into the international break having overseen a seven-game unbeaten run to kick-start his Liverpool career, with the Reds having won four of their past five games in all competitions.

On his return to Bournemouth -- whom he managed with great distinction before leaving to join Liverpool in the summer -- he became the first manager to hand the hosts a home defeat since Arsenal's Mikel Arteta in January.

"Overall we have definitely improved since the first games," he said. "Some of the things we still need to improve. [I'm] happy that it is the third league clean sheet in a row. Today is a difficult game, you never play comfortably here. Bournemouth does not allow you to play comfortably; they put you under pressure and you have to adapt and you have to win these kind of games.

"But we still have to get ready because the schedule we have now is very difficult. I think we play against top four teams then in between there is Champions League and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, every two or three days. So we have to be ready because this month after the break is very demanding for us."

Certainly, Iraola will need more from his players if he is to turn what has been a good start to life at Anfield into a great one. Once again against Bournemouth, Florian Wirtz looked lost in midfield while new arrival Bradley Barcola has yet to truly introduce himself on Merseyside.

This is a Liverpool team that still appears less than the sum of its parts and very much remains a work in progress. But if the Reds can continue to be decisive in both boxes, Iraola's first season in charge could well be a successful one.