Swedish Elegance: Alexander Isak

Like I mentioned in my earlier blogs, I knew Arsenal was going to do me dirty and fall short on transfers as it pertained to strikers, Vlahović off to Juventus, and DCL staying in Everton. Arsenal is probably not going to trigger the release clause to get Alexander Isak but regardless he should be our next realistic target to lead our line going into next season. Isak first came to my attention when he joined Dortmund but failed to make an impression in Germany. Alexander Isak broke out with Real Sociedad in 2019 leading the lines with Oyarzabal and Ødegaard behind him with his performance at the Euros last summer being his breakout moment to the world. His performance against Spain in the Euros was one of the most complete performances I have seen from a forward with a goal-line clearance being the sole deterrent from an otherwise immaculate performance. Isak has 16 and 17 goals in all comps in the last two seasons but the goals only tell a small portion of what makes him so special. Let’s go into what makes Alexander Isak a necessity for Arsenal and why we need to not mess this up and get this done:

SWEDISH ELEGANCE: BALANCE & BODY CONTROL: When watching Alexander Isak, you’ll first notice his physical stature or lack thereof. He doesn’t have that imposing stature like that of a Lukaku or Osimhen when looking at a center forward/striker. He doesn’t have that break-neck pace like that of a prime Gareth Bale. But what he does lack in physical appearance he more than makes up for is his technique and body control. What makes Isak such a beautiful footballer to watch is how he is able to get himself away from defenders and physical confrontations through his technical skills/touches on the ball and his balance. What defenders like to do especially at the highest level is to use their physicality to throw attackers off, with Isak, once you try to get your hands on him, all it takes is one stop-go and he’s past you like the examples below:

The brilliance shown by Isak here is of the highest quality as the Spanish defenders all quickly crowd him once he receives the ball. Isak however is able to use his quick feet and body control to maneuver between all 3 of them which they were not expecting before he gets himself on his right foot to create a chance for Berg at the back post. Another example of his balance and body control can be shown here:

There might be nothing prettier and more satisfying than a good stop & go that leaves defenders in the dust. Isak’s ability to use both feet to take defenders out of the game while keeping possession of the ball is world-class. All of these examples are uncompromising positions for most attackers but Isak is able to come out through all of them without being touched. It’s the little inkling of skill and quality in these moments that separate footballers at the highest level, being able to use his balance and body control from a stand still position and then accelerate past defenders is an advantage that any team in world football can use.

SWEDISH ELEGANCE: TECHNIQUE: All of the examples shown above are useless if Isak isn’t able to use his technical skills to accelerate past the defender. Isak is comfortable dribbling and shooting with both feet which comes from his confidence in his ability to utilize both feet. Let’s start with his striking technique against Spain in WCQ:

Isak finds himself at the end of a loose ball against Spain and capitalizes by just lasering this ball into the far post, giving Simón no chance at all. The ball is struck with the top of his boot, creating minimal spin on the ball which gives him the ability to generate the requisite power to find the far post.

This next goal against Kosovo shows all the quality that makes Isak special:

Just everything about the goal above is what makes Isak a prime target for Arsenal. The combination of skill and technique is so evident, it’s quite remarkable. Isak receives the ball on the right flank and immediately knows what he is going to do as he sees the defender recklessly charging him and just slide past him with a touch. He then uses this touch to create an opportunity on his right boot which he then uses to just power the ball to the far post giving the Kosovo keeper no chance.

Let’s look at Isak using his skills on the ball to evade defenders:

Isak’s calmness in 1v1 situations puts him above the rest which you can tell by how he gets his team out of uncompromising positions to create space for him and his teammates. The examples above also show how he uses his technique to constantly take out multiple defenders out of the game which lets his team create overloads in dangerous areas of the pitch. I can watch Isak cut between defenders all day as they helplessly watch him glide by effortlessley. There is a Neymar-like quality (obviously not on Neymar’s level), where he is able to combine his acceleration, balance, and technique on the ball to glide by defenders from a stand-still position, an advantage few teams have in world-football. No player at Arsenal currently except Pépé in very rare occasions is able to do this and is something we can use as an outlet from our center forward.

SWEDISH ELEGANCE: PLAYMAKING: An underrated part of Isak’s game is his playmaking ability. Because of everything I discussed above, there are moments where Isak is able to use his dribbling to take multiple defenders out of the game which obviously would create overloads for his team which means open players if he is able to find them. Let’s look at Isak wrecking havoc against Spain:

Isak against Spain just goes right into the 3 Spanish defenders (Llorente, Pedri, and Torres) and immediately is able to take Torres and Llorente out of the play which he then finds himself on his right foot against Pedri. There is enough space for Isak to find Berg at the back post who squanders the chance. Isak is also very comfortable with his back towards goal, his touch and balance gives him the ability to turn defenders around but also the opportunity to leave them in the dust like shown below:

Alexander is so comfortable with his back towards goal he uses the defender’s momentum against himself and is able to dummy his way past the struggling defender. Isak taking the initial center defender out of the game with the dummy causes the other center back to come over and help which leaves the center of the pitch open for David Silva to have a shot on target but he helplessly skies the ball over the net despite the easy opportunity for someone of his caliber. Let’s look at Isak getting an assist against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey:

Isak finds the ball on the right flank with some space and back towards the goal. He senses Marcelo closing in on him and then with a simple hesitation and step-over, is able to create the right amount of space to drag a ball into a chance Merino had no possibility of missing.

WEAKNESSES: As sound as Isak is on the ball and off the ball, gliding past defenders with ease but also having a mesmerizing touch on the ball, I do have concerns with his physicality in a league that is as fast and physical as the Premier League. Isak is very much a finesse player which is fine but also gives Premier League staple defenders the ability to take him out of games through physicality, something that became all too familiar at times with players like Ozil. If teams crowd Isak, he does have the requisite skill to get himself out and evade defenders but also opens the possibility of an idiot like James Tarkowski to just foul Isak and stop all momentum. Very high flop-like potential for Isak in my opinion. Isak’s also goal/assist numbers are nothing too crazy at the moment. He is not the natural goal scorer like that of a Vlahović or a proto-tyipcal poacher like that of a DCL. Isak has yet to hit the heights of a 20+ goals a season which can be developed through playing with higher quality players and getting himself in more dangerous goal-scoring opportunities. At the moment, his ability to terrorize defenders down the flank and with his back towards goal inhibits his position at times to score goals but can be worked on if not having to carry the majority responsibility for playmaking.

CONCLUSION: All in all, the quality in Isak is evident and is something that is crying out to be had in North London. Isak linking up with ESR and Saka who are capable in front of goal is salivating. Isak linking up with Ødegaard again is something that I think Arteta is looking for, a striker who can link up play, is comfortable on the ball, and able to create the possession-like football from front is something Arteta wants. I doubt Arsenal would want to trigger his release clause (£75.4million) without finding a team to pay Auba’s wages but I swear if Morata is the answer, Lord help me get through this season. Lettuce pray Edu and the Arsenal board are able to come up with something before this window closes.

Image Credits: AS Comps, ESPN FC