12 Premier League games, no impact and loads of missed chances. This is the stark reality for one of the Premier League’s most promising strikers, a player whose dream of moving to a bigger club in the hopes of reaching new heights and becoming the main man his new team desperately needed has turned into a nightmare.
Alexander Isak’s struggles at Liverpool have shown just how cruel football can be when timing, form, and team chemistry all collapse at the same time. The former Real Sociedad striker, once celebrated for his clinical finishing, now appears hesitant and isolated, burdened by the expectations of a big-money move in a team that seems to have lost its identity.
What was seen as the final piece in Arne Slot’s Liverpool team has become the sharpest symbol of Liverpool’s alarming decline. And one question on the lips of football-loving fans remains: Did Alexander Isak make the biggest mistake of his career moving to Liverpool?
Alexander Isak’s Struggles at Liverpool: From Newcastle’s Golden Prince to Anfield’s Ghost
Stepping out of your comfort zone in search of greener pastures doesn’t always lead to what you expect.
Sometimes, the reality you find makes you appreciate what you left behind, proving that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and in Isak’s case, that reality has become increasingly clear. What was meant to be the next big leap in his career has instead been met with unexpected challenges – from adapting to a new system to battling dips in form and fitness.
While at the Magpies, Newcastle fought tooth and nail to keep him. They were prepared to give him everything he wanted. Wages? They were willing to raise them. Quality signings to bring the best out of him? They were ready to spend.
They would have built the entire squad around him because he was their star, and if he had stayed, there was every chance he would have secured a legendary status at the club.
But after three years at the club, and scoring 51 Premier League goals, he decided to switch – a decision he may now be regretting. 12 games into the Premier League season, Alexander Isak’s goal tally stands at a grand total of…zero. No goals, no spark, and no cutting edge that once made him one of the most feared forwards in the Premier League.
And after their embarrassing 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, where Isak – who came on for the injured Ekitike in the 61st minute – managed just one shot on target, Liverpool’s alarming decline, coinciding with the Swede’s sharp dip in form, has made the situation even more concerning for Arne Slot.
With Liverpool slipping down both the Champions League and Premier League tables with their attacking output drying up, the need for Isak to rediscover his confidence and cutting edge has never been more urgent.
For a player who left in search of something better, the reality has been anything but.
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Alexander Isak Feeling the Effects of Liverpool’s Ongoing Problems
The reason Alexander Isak’s struggles at Liverpool have drawn so much attention recently stems from the team’s 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest – a side that has seen an upturn in fortune since the appointment of Sean Dyche, as they try to fight their way out of the relegation zone. In that match, he was substituted in the 68th minute after a poor performance and finished as Liverpool’s lowest-rated player, receiving a disappointing 5.5.
That result saw Liverpool slip to 12th in the Premier League table with 18 points. After that blazing start to the season, they have now hit a rough patch that will require every member of the squad to step up and contribute if they are to turn things around.
It’s not just Swede who has been poor this season – the entire club has suffered a dramatic dip. From Arne Slot to Van Dijk and Konate to Salah and Wirtz, even the new signings, every key figure has dropped far below the standards that once crowned them Kings of England.
Mohammed Salah
Salah, who has long been the heartbeat of Liverpool’s attack, has been especially unrecognisable. Surprisingly poor, even by the expectations placed on him. The 2025 PFA Player of the Year has struggled to replicate the sharpness, creativity, and ruthless end product that made him one of Europe’s most feared forwards.
Last season, the Egyptian ended the season with a mind-blowing 29 goals and 18 assists. Astonishing numbers that saw him finish as the fourth-best player in the FIFA Ballon d’Or rankings.
And at the start of the season, after contributing six goals and assists in just six games, many believed he was carrying forward the previous year’s form and would continue to be Liverpool’s talisman. However, since the club’s troubles began, Salah’s form has undergone a noticeable decline, struggling to find the same spark and consistency that once made him unstoppable.
Premier League defences have found it easier to contain him, and his influence on games has waned, mirroring the broader struggles of the team around him.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate
From partnering up to lead Liverpool to their second league title in six years to becoming one of their weak points this season, Van Dijk and Konate have struggled to maintain the standards expected of them.
Both defenders have not been at their best, and the three goals they conceded against relegation battlers Nottingham Forest – who have now claimed back-to-back victories at Liverpool’s home ground – have shown that the once-imposing centre-back pairing is vulnerable.
Lapses in concentration, lack of coordination, and the team’s overall defensive fragility have exposed cracks that opponents are now eager to exploit.
Florian Wirtz
Alongside Isak, the German has also been one of the most underperforming players in this team. After finishing the previous season at Bayer Leverkusen with over 20 goal contributions (12 goals and 10 assists), the Reds sanctioned a massive £116 million move for the forward – yet he has failed to find the back of the net in 16 appearances, giving three assists.
For Wirtz, the excuse could be that he is still adapting to the intensity and physicality of the Premier League, adjusting to new tactics, and trying to settle into a team carrying the pressure of Liverpool’s title defence. But for Isak, who is now in his fourth year in the EPL, the concerns are far more troubling.
The struggles of their £250 million attacking duo, have played a major role in Liverpool’s alarming decline this season.
Instead of pushing at the top end of the Premier League table, Arne Slot’s Liverpool have found themselves slipping into the bottom half, with the lack of goals from two of their biggest attacking investments highlighting the problems that urgently need solving if they are to revive their campaign.
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Big Transfers That Didn’t Work Out
Alexander Isak’s struggles at Liverpool are a familiar story when you look at the pattern of superstar players who moved clubs only to find they didn’t fit into the fabric of their new team.
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard at Real Madrid comes to mind, as does Philippe Coutinho’s big-money switch to Barcelona, or Ousmane Dembele’s move to the same club. In each case, talent alone wasn’t enough – as injuries, pressure, tactical mismatches, or a lack of the right environment prevented them from living up to expectations.
Isak now finds himself in a similar situation, proving that even the most promising forwards can struggle when the pieces around them don’t align.
Conclusion
Despite the backlash and setbacks the Swedish international has faced, Isak’s talent remains undeniable.
What he needs now is a mental reset, tactical clarity, a run of games to build his confidence, and consistent service from teammates around him. If he can find that balance, there’s still every chance he can rediscover the form that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting young strikers.
If Liverpool’s title defence can be brought back on track they’ll have to do so by emulating Manchester City, who changed their shape to a 2-2-6 formation on some occasions to bypass teams who set up a low block just to frustrate them, a typical example of how Nottingham Forest were able to secure a 3-0 win. And to achieve this, they’ll need not just Isak, but the entire squad to rediscover the intensity and hunger that once defined them.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Xinhua
Recording Date: 22.11.2025
