Alexander Isak 'relieved' after ending Liverpool goal drought with victory over West Ham

The Sweden forward, who arrived for a fee rising towards one hundred and twenty-five million pounds, had gone ten league matches without scoring before he slid Cody Gakpo's pass into the bottom corner on the hour.

Isak admitted the goal had removed a burden that had grown heavier during Liverpool's alarming run of nine defeats in twelve matches. "I'm aware it has been a long time coming," he said. "I've been trying to get back to my best and I'm still on the way, but I'm really happy to have that goal.

"The best feeling is that we win the game because that helps the whole group. As a striker, scoring will always help me."

The 25-year-old stressed that Liverpool "have to stay humble", insisting that one win would not erase the problems that had undermined Slot's early months at Anfield. "We have to use this in a good way," he said. "We've had a tough time, so we need to stay focused and keep working to build momentum."

Slot had reshaped his frontline after the midweek Champions League defeat to PSV, leaving Mohamed Salah on the bench and restoring Florian Wirtz in a role that brought sharper movement and more controlled build-up play.

Wirtz drifted between the lines, linked neatly with Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch, and gave Liverpool the composure they had lacked during their slump.

Isak's breakthrough shifted the momentum of a contest Liverpool had largely controlled, and West Ham's frustrations deepened late on when Gakpo added the second with a tidy finish after another incisive move.

Slot admitted that relief, rather than celebration, dominated his thoughts after full time. "It means a lot," he said of the reaction from the travelling Liverpool support. "It says a lot about the club and fans that they were supportive of the whole team. If you have such a run and the away end is still full and backing you from start to finish, that is special."

Liverpool now face a defining week, with Sunderland visiting Anfield in midweek before a testing trip to Leeds on Saturday, two matches that will show whether Isak's long-awaited strike proves to be a genuine turning point.

READ MORE: Young Lions stranded as SAFA North West continues to fixture former club - Lerumo Lions