Arne Slot says he was encouraged by Alexander Isak’s performance on his first Premier League start for Liverpool, despite the champions suffering a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Swedish striker, who joined the Reds from Newcastle for £125m on deadline day, played 84 minutes before being replaced by teenager Rio Ngumoha.
It marked his first top-flight start since May, following a disrupted summer in which he missed pre-season due to the acrimonious nature of his transfer.
Ismaila Sarr fired Palace into an early lead at Selhurst Park, but Federico Chiesa came off the bench to equalise late on. However, Eddie Nketiah struck in the 97th minute to hand Liverpool their first loss of the campaign.
Arne Slot said: “Isak playing 84 minutes had a lot to do with the low intensity of the game.
“If you face a low block, 10 players in and around their own 18-yard box and when they have to do a build-up they take a while with hardly any intensity.
“In a more open game where you have to run a lot as a nine, then you might not play him for 84, but this was a game in which it was a low block with some bursts of counter-attacks.
“He was close to a goal, very honest to stay on his feet, got a little bit of a shirt pull and that’s why he was unbalanced when he shot.
“So that was maybe just enough, smart little push to get him unbalanced.
“He didn’t score but it was quite a good performance.”
Slot also explained his decision to start Florian Wirtz ahead of Cody Gakpo in the front three.
The Germany international was instructed to take up more central positions than his Dutch counterpart typically would.
Slot added: “We wanted to overload the midfield with Wirtz in the first half which is why we didn’t start with Cody.
“But if you’re 1-0 down and need a goal you prefer to have width both sides and that’s why we brought on Cody.
“That’s why we brought on more attacking players and took a risk.
“The way we played first half wasn’t what I was hoping for before the game.”
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