Isak Ahead of Everton: “The Quality is There, So We Just Need to Show It”
Liverpool’s hopes are now riding mostly on the shoulders of the Swedish striker. Isak shared thoughts ahead of Everton.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: Alexander Isak of Liverpool looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images Liverpool’s season is, more or less, focused entirely on Champions League qualification. Mired in 5th, the club are currently in driving position for a berth in next year’s competition thanks to the Premier League getting a 5th slot in the new expanded format.
Additionally, Liverpool are only 4 points off of 4th place and their nearest rivals for the final spot – Chelsea – failed to take any points in their own match-up on Saturday. Which is to say: a Liverpool win against Everton in the Merseyside Derby would put give them much needed breathing room in the only remaining objective for the club in what will likely be viewed as a lost season for the Reds. And key to being able to achieve even that will be whether striker Alexander Isak can find enough fitness and form after a long injury layoff to contribute to an attack that has failed to gel over the course of the season.
Isak’s own struggles to find the form that had many naming him the second best striker in the entire league just prior to his move to Anfield is well-documented. And the circumstances his injury – achieved whilst scoring his first goal for the club – feels well in keeping with what’s felt like a monkey’s paw of a season. The forward, for his part, has made 3 starts, each lasting only about 60 minutes each.
With Hugo Ekitike out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury, Liverpool’s hopes of securing qualification in the Champions League really comes down to Isak and the rest of the offense finally getting their collective shit together. Speaking to the official site ahead of the Merseyside Derby , Isak talked a bit about the weight of the occasion: “It’s those moments and those games we want to play, and hopefully we can make a good day out of it. I think we just need to do a good performance, work hard and play as a team.