Liverpool needed Isak, Wirtz to ease pressure on Slot, and they did

LONDON–Arne Slott hugged alexander isaac as on the touchline liverpool The supporters started singing. The Sweden international took his seat on the bench, looking as if a weight of £125million had been, at least temporarily, lifted from his shoulders.

Isaac’s strike in the second half west ham united Provided the launchpad for a priceless 2-0 win that shook up the beleaguered Premier League Champion up to eighth place in the table. And, while Liverpool hoped the striker would take the club to greater heights when his acrimonious, British-record transfer newcastle united Completed on deadline day, his first league goal in a red shirt could mark a key moment in his team’s season.

When the fixture list returned in June, few would have expected that a trip to the London Stadium at the end of November would be so important. And yet, following an unimaginable fall from grace to Liverpool with nine defeats in their last 12 games, Slott’s team traveled to the capital on Sunday with their campaign – and their head coach’s future – teetering on the edge of a cliff.

Despite a disappointing 4-1 defeat in midweek psv eindhovenSlott retained the support of the Anfield hierarchy, who have accepted the Reds’ summer of transition (with over £450 million spent on seven new players) as at least a partial mitigation for the team’s current plight. Still, the Dutchman’s credit in the bank is not unlimited and a defeat against West Ham would have left his Liverpool career on shaky ground.

Perhaps with this idea in mind, the Liverpool boss reshuffled his pack against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, making four changes to the team that made an inglorious start to Wednesday’s Champions League clash against PSV and leaving Mohamed Salah out. The boldness of the slot was confirmed when two of those changes – Isak and partner Samar – signed florian wertz – combined to deliver success on a Sunday afternoon, with the latter making an impact, particularly in East London.

Wertz arrives bayer leverkusen He was touted as one of European football’s brightest stars for an initial £100million move in June, but he has so far failed to shine amid the turmoil of an increasingly physical Premier League. However, against West Ham German The international was the best player on the pitch with his incisive passes kodi gakpo Into the penalty area before Isak’s spontaneous strike.

“The team played a very good game,” Slott said in a post-match press conference. “I’ve been asked a lot recently about individuals when perhaps they haven’t played up to their normal standards and I’ve pointed to the team every time.

“After Florian’s very positive performance, I can accept that, but I also want to emphasize that the team’s performance was much better. We tried to create an extra midfielder, and it was very important for us to find that extra midfielder every time. He was good when he dribbled; he was good with his one-touch passes; he played a ball to Cody who was not followed by a shot but we had many moments like that and he was part of many of them.”

Slott was also rewarded for the decision to start a defender joe gomez right behind, with England The international beat Gakpo to score Liverpool’s second goal in stoppage time. The situation has caused headaches for the Reds boss in recent weeks, with both connor bradley And jeremy frimpong Sidelined due to injury. However, Gomez – making his first league start in 11 months – added some much-needed solidity to Liverpool’s porous backline and also offered a threat going forward. While keeping him fit seems vital to ensure victory over West Ham, he is not just a flash in the slot for the team.

The same can be said for Isaac, who has struggled for both form and fitness since arriving from the North East, where he spent the summer on strike in an attempt to force a move to Merseyside. Before Sunday, the 26-year-old’s only goal for Liverpool had come Carabao Cup win over Southampton in September But, while it is clear the forward is still far from his best, his contribution against West Ham could be the catalyst for his top-flight redemption.

“It’s also a little unfair to him,” Slott said when told that Isak’s goal was a long time coming. “Normally, as a number 9, he plays more minutes than I have played with Alex so far, for obvious reasons. Even today, I had to remove him after 68 minutes. He has played a lot of games, but in terms of minutes, not that much.

“It’s very important for us as a team that we go 1-0 and it’s important for them too because it was their third time in this game, and I don’t think they had more than 10 minutes left. To score right before you come on is important for us and for them.”

Certainly, Slott will be hoping that this weekend’s clash has provided Isaac and Wirtz – along with the rest of their teammates – a welcome injection of confidence ahead of the tough tasks ahead of them. Sunderland at Anfield and leeds united At Elland Road in the coming week.

Liverpool are by no means out of trouble yet, but only three points now separate them Aston Villa In fourth place, these green shoots of recovery provide some hope that their season can still be fruitful, even if the title remains out of reach.

After the defeat to PSV, Slote was asked how he was sleeping despite his team’s tough run. “Not the best,” admitted the Dutchman. It looks like there are many sleepless nights ahead for the Liverpool boss as he tries to turn the Reds’ fortunes around and get the club out of trouble. But, at least for now, he can relax a bit.