Slot backs Isak after Liverpool move: 'Criticism is part of football'

August's Manager of the Month, Arne Slot, has backed new signing Alexander Isak after his Newcastle United exit, as Liverpool look to extend their perfect start to the 2025-26 season against Burnley.

A stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick was the difference between Slot's side and Arsenal during their most recent Premier League showing, with Liverpool taking an early-season advantage at the top.

Liverpool's recent history at Turf Moor has been dominant, having won eight of their nine away Premier League matches at Burnley (L1), winning the last six consecutively.

A record-breaking transfer deadline day for the Reds saw them finally land Isak for a British-record fee of £125m, securing the Swede's services after an initial approach was rejected by Newcastle earlier in the window.

"In football, there's always criticism. Sometimes people cheer for you. After he won the League Cup, everyone was really happy with him. In other moments, you get criticised," Slot said when discussing Isak. 

"Now he's a player for us, and I'm really happy with that."

Slot, however, noted that Isak will have to be eased into action for Liverpool, as the Swede missed the pre-season and the beginning of the Premier League campaign.

"The Swedish manager [Jon Dahl Tomasson] deserves a big, big compliment because he gets maybe the best striker in the world, and he needs to play two very important games for his country but understands that if he would play him twice for 90 minutes, then the player would be injured for multiple weeks and that is not always easy for a manager that he takes care of the interest of a player," Slot added.

"We will treat Alex the same as they did, so don't expect him to be [playing] every single game 90 minutes on the pitch, as that is definitely not going to happen in the upcoming weeks."

Having conceded a deflating last-gasp winner against Manchester United before the international break, Burnley will be hoping they can preserve their unbeaten league run at Turf Moor come Sunday – a record that stretches back to May 2024, when they lost 4-0 to Newcastle.

Since the Clarets last played, Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis has signed on the dotted line, becoming the club's 14th summer signing.

Discussing the set-up at Burnley, midfielder Josh Laurent said: "You look in this building, if you were to come here for maybe a month, you'd see how hard these people work. That's not only on the pitch, but it's everyone around the place, the chef, the nutritionist, everyone. They're real grafters, and it creates a whole culture.

"We try our best and work hard too for them. At the end of the day, you've got a real club here, and it's the whole culture of this club and something I hope they're proud of, because I'm certainly proud to be here and be involved in it."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Burnley – Jaidon Anthony

Jaidon Anthony has registered two goals and one assist so far in the Premier League this season. 

He became only the second player to be directly involved in as many as three goals in his first three Premier League appearances for Burnley, after David Datro Fofana (also two goals, one assist).

Liverpool – Alexander Isak

Isak may feature for the first time for the Reds since sealing his move from Newcastle. Between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons, only two players managed more Premier League goals than his tally of 54, Mohamed Salah (66) and Erling Haaland (85).

This season, both Hugo Ekitike and Rio Ngumoha have already scored on their debuts, and the last time more Liverpool players netted on their top-flight debuts in a single campaign was back in 1946-47, when Len Carney, Billy Liddell, Albert Stubbins, Cyril Done, and William Watkinson all did so.

MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN

Liverpool are aiming to open a Premier League season with four straight victories for only the third time, having previously achieved the feat in 2018-19, when they finished second, and 2019-20, when they went on to win the title.

If they do so, it would mark the third consecutive season the defending champions have won their first four league matches, following Manchester City in 2023-24 and 2024-25 – something that has never before happened in top-flight history.

Burnley, meanwhile, have been on the losing side in 14 of their 18 Premier League meetings with Liverpool (W2 D2), including defeats in each of the last five encounters since their 1-0 triumph at Anfield in January 2021.

Liverpool come into this game having scored in 37 successive Premier League fixtures, the longest scoring streak in their top-flight history. Only Tottenham (39 games between March 2023 and March 2024) and Arsenal (55 games between May 2001 and November 2002) have ever put together longer scoring runs in the competition.

Burnley have failed to score in the first half of any Premier League matches this season, having amassed 15 shots in those periods. However, in the second half, they have scored four goals from 12 shots, giving them a 33% conversion rate after the break – the highest of any team in the league.

The Clarets have lost 10 of their last 11 games against the reigning champions, conceding 30 goals in those 10 defeats.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Burnley – 13.9%

Draw – 17.1%

Liverpool - 69%