Pep Guardiola Appears to Undermine Liverpool’s Record Signing Alexander Isak
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has seemingly thrown shade at Liverpool’s high-profile new addition, Alexander Isak, by claiming that Erling Haaland still ranks just above him. Liverpool broke the British transfer record this summer to bring in Isak from Newcastle United, but Guardiola doesn’t appear to share the belief that he’s the world’s top striker.
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new manager, had praised Isak as the best forward, a claim that was brought up to Guardiola during a press conference. In response, Guardiola respectfully disagreed, making it clear he still believes Haaland deserves the top spot.
Guardiola, however, acknowledged that football is all about differing opinions, admitting that others might consider players like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to be the greatest. Even so, he stressed he wouldn’t trade Haaland for any other striker.
Haaland vs. Isak – Who Comes Out on Top Statistically?
While statistics don’t tell the whole story, they do offer some insights. A comparison from DataMB shows contrasting styles between the two strikers.
Haaland excels in the air, while both players post similar numbers for touches inside the box and non-penalty goals. Isak, however, stands out as a more well-rounded attacker, with higher expected assists and a slightly better conversion rate.
Looking at last season’s goal tally:
Player 2024/25 Games Goals
Erling Haaland 48 34
Alexander Isak 42 27
As Isak steps into a stronger team at Liverpool, he could see even more chances created for him. But whether that leads to better results remains to be seen—football often defies simple logic.
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