Forget Salah — Liverpool Face a Bigger Issue as Underperforming Forward Scores Just 5/10 in Inter Milan Clash
Mohamed Salah dominated the headlines before Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Tuesday night, but despite securing a vital result at the San Siro, Arne Slot may have a new problem on his hands.
Liverpool chose to leave Salah out of the squad after the Egyptian claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus.” That meant his teammates had to overcome one of Europe’s best defensive sides without their star forward — and they managed to do just enough.
With Salah unavailable, Slot still reshuffled his attack in the second half, taking off one of his out-of-form key players, whose struggles are becoming a growing concern for the manager.
The Reds didn’t need Salah when they were awarded a controversial late penalty in the 88th minute. Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and slotted past Yann Sommer to secure the win.
Inter Milan 0–1 Liverpool – Isak’s San Siro Struggles
However, Slot had nothing to celebrate when it came to Alexander Isak — the striker Liverpool chased all summer before sealing a £125 million Premier League record deal on deadline day. After a brilliant season at Newcastle, the Swedish forward has made a troubling start at Anfield.
Isak delivered another disappointing showing at the San Siro, barely influencing the game and failing to trouble Inter’s defence. He won just two of six ground duels and registered a single shot before being replaced in the 68th minute by Florian Wirtz, who arguably should have started.
Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike posed Liverpool’s main threat, using his speed to unsettle Inter. While Isak has struggled, the Frenchman has looked lively — just as he did at the weekend when he scored twice in the 3-3 draw with Leeds.
Slot is still searching for his strongest XI after a big summer of spending, but Ekitike seems a far more convincing option at No. 9 than Isak. The level Isak showed at Newcastle simply hasn’t carried over to Merseyside.
“Made of Twigs” – Liverpool Fans React
Isak has scored only twice in 14 appearances for Slot, and supporters are beginning to lose patience. His passive display in Italy didn’t help, and The Express gave him a 5/10 rating.
One fan wrote on X:
“Need more from our £125m striker Isak. No excuses left — he has to start producing. He’s letting Inter’s centre-backs run past him with zero pressing.”
Another said Ekitike looks like the real big-money signing:
“Watching Ekitike and Isak, it feels like their price tags are swapped.”
A supporter referenced Isak’s past dominance against Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel:
“I’ve seen Isak beat Gabriel and Saliba many times. How has a couple of months of not training with the team done this to him?”
Another added:
“Isak is making me wince. He looks like he’s made of twigs.”
One fan criticised Slot as well:
“This has been brutal from Isak. He’s the last player I expected to start like this. But the real issue is the dysfunctional team and clueless manager.”
Isak was arguably the Premier League’s best striker last season, scoring 23 in 34 for Newcastle and starring in their Carabao Cup triumph, delivering big performances against Saliba, Gabriel, Van Dijk, and Konaté.
But after another ineffective outing, his place in Slot’s starting XI is in doubt — and he may soon join Salah on the bench. That could happen as early as Saturday (December 13) when Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield.