Liverpool are back in Premier League action on Saturday when they travel to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with Arne Slot’s side looking to make it six wins from six
Arne Slot watching Liverpool vs Southampton(Image: AP)
Liverpool had to dig deep against Southampton in their Carabao Cup third round match on Tuesday night, but they managed to secure their place in the last 16 after yet another late show. Alexander Isak scored his first goal for the club in the first half, while Hugo Ekitike came off the bench to win it after Shea Charles had briefly equalised for the Championship side. However, the victory was not without its complications – even aside from the fact that Southampton ran last season’s finalists close.
Giovanni Leoni’s debut was cut short, with the defender now thought to face a long injury lay-off, and Ekitike will be absent from this weekend’s clash with Crystal Palace after taking his shirt off to celebrate his winner and receiving a second yellow card. Arne Slot’s squad will be looking to maintain their perfect record when they face off against Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. The Eagles are the only other team in the league yet to taste defeat, having won two matches and drawn three, and have only conceded twice in the Premier League.
The last encounter between these two sides took place less than two months ago. In that match, Palace came out on top in the Community Shield, managing to secure a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes at Wembley before triumphing on penalties.
At the time of that match, record signing Isak had not yet joined Liverpool, and it now falls to Arne Slot to decide whether to give the Swede his first league start for the club. Here are our latest updates from around Anfield.
Isak provides fitness update
Alexander Isak has yet to play a full match for Liverpool since his summer transfer, with manager Arne Slot cautiously managing the striker’s game time following a limited pre-season. He clocked another 45 minutes against Southampton on Tuesday, netting once and having another shot kept out by keeper Alex McCarthy, and confirmed he’s still working towards peak fitness.
“It was good to get some more minutes on the way to getting fit,” Isak told Sky Sports. “I feel good, I feel fit of course. Obviously it’s still early. A new club and new team-mates but I feel good. I think it’s a great team to be a part of and with all of the games I get it’s only going to get better.”
Alexander Isak scoring Liverpool’s opener against Southampton(Image: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock)
Isak had to wait until the September international break to get his first minutes of the new season, having not played for former club Newcastle before his move to Anfield. He made an appearance as a substitute against Everton on Saturday, and could potentially make his first league start for the Reds this weekend.
Slot’s striker dilemma
If Arne Slot intended to gradually integrate Isak into the team, that plan may now be complicated due to Ekitike’s suspension. Former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood, who was providing punditry for the cup tie on Tuesday, empathised with the Liverpool manager while speculating whether Ekitike felt threatened by Isak’s arrival.
Hugo Ekitike receiving a red card against Southampton(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“I think it’s the pressure of Isak being there, the noise around it,” Sherwood said. “He’s letting everyone know that I am here. We know he’s done really well, he’s a real threat. That’s his fifth goal of the season. He can’t do any more than he’s doing. We all know your name!”.
“There’s absolutely no need to show that,” he added. “Liverpool fans appreciate what he’s doing. Now he’s not going to play and whether Isak is ready to play or not. Ekitike has let himself down.”
Bayern legend’s Florian Wirtz claim
Florian Wirtz on the ball during the Merseyside derby(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz would have been better suited to Bayern Munich rather than Liverpool, according to the German giants’ former striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Bayern were amongst the contenders for the Bayer Leverkusen before Liverpool entered with a record bid.
“I have to say honestly, in the case of Florian Wirtz, it still hurts, I feel sorry for him,” Rummenigge told Sport Bild. “Because I believe the player would have been better off at Bayern than at Liverpool.
“We could have signed [Newcastle forward Nick] Woltemade. But I also have to say: Bayern Munich are wise enough not to engage in every kind of financial madness. I’ve always said: We want to achieve sporting success, but please, in a serious and financially sound way.”
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