By Graham RuthvenFor £125m, Liverpool expected Alexander Isak to be one of the best strikers in the Premier League. After all, that’s what he had been for Newcastle United. Isak’s capture last year was meant to elevate the Reds’ forward line to another level and yet it’s only recently that Isak has started to show signs of his old form.Isak’s goal against Brighton last Sunday was his sixth in his last six Premier League outings. While Liverpool’s form under new manager Andoni Iraola has been inconsistent, their Swedish centre forward is growing in stature. Isak is looking more like the player that lit up St James’ Park.Isak’s career summary since moving to England“Alex is threatening, especially if we can get him in those positions,” said Iraola when asked about Isak’s recent impact. “In this case [of the goal against Brighton], it’s a matter of [Barcola] winning the duel and being faster than the opposition to get us in that position. If we can put him in those positions, we can provide him [with] good crosses, good situations, he will score the goals.”Iraola is right to highlight how Isak’s output largely depends on the players around him. Liverpool have completely revamped their forward line over the last two seasons with Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez leaving to be replaced by Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola, Víctor Muñoz and Florian Wirtz.When everyone is fit, it’s not clear how Iraola will accommodate everyone. Ekitke was one of the bright spots in an otherwise dull season for Liverpool last term with the French forward most impactful in a central role. It’s difficult to envisage how Iraola can possibly field Ekitike and Isak in the same team without shifting one of them out wide.Iraola is also still working on the balance of his left and right wingers. Against Brighton, Barcola played on the right side despite being more comfortable on the left. This created space for Cody Gakpo to start in his favoured role as an inside-out left winger, but dropped Muñoz to the bench when the Spaniard has started well for Liverpool this season.Isak’s shot map in the Premier League this seasonAt Newcastle, Isak played best when he had Jacob Murphy, a right-footer, to get crosses into the box from the right side. Barcola, also a right-footer, is increasingly picking up on Isak’s movements inside the penalty area, as demonstrated by the Swede’s goal against Brighton which was set up for him by the former Paris Saint-Germain player.Isak is having to adapt his game to suit Liverpool’s playing style. At Newcastle, the Swede had open space to attack due to their emphasis on transition moments. Isak is among the best in the Premier League at breaking into space behind an opposition backline. Once he’s through, there’s no catching him.Liverpool, however, are a more possession-orientated side. Iraola’s instincts as a coach might be to tip the Reds towards the transition-heavy style that worked so well for him at Bournemouth, but the talent level inside the Anfield dressing room means Liverpool are naturally expected to operate within the opposition half.This explains why Isak hasn’t always been the most involved for Liverpool this season. Even as the 27-year-old has found a rich vein of scoring form, he has been a peripheral figure in his team’s possession play – against Brighton, Isak registered just 20 touches of the ball, the lowest of any starting Liverpool player.Erling Haaland has altered expectations of how involved a centre forward should be in the modern age. It’s common for the Norwegian to be an afterthought in Manchester City’s build-up. Inside the penalty area, though, Haaland has the sharpest instincts of any striker in Europe. Isak is developing a similar quality.Isak’s physical data in the Premier League this seasonNot every part of Liverpool’s new-look team is functioning so well. There are questions over the balance of the midfield and whether Dominik Szoboszlai and Wirtz can be accommodated in the same team. At left back and right back, there are concerns too, although on-loan Ronald Araújo has proved a good stop-gap solution on the right.When Ekitike returns from injury next year, Iraola will have a headache over who to favour as his first-choice centre forward. Ekitike was the obvious pick before his layoff, but Isak is now delivering in the way Liverpool expected to when they broke the Premier League transfer record to sign him.That, however, is a good problem to have and Isak increasingly feels like the key to Liverpool enjoying a positive first season under Iraola. A title challenge might be beyond them, but Isak in such free-scoring form raises the level of what is possible for the Anfield outfit. A transitional season can still be a successful one.(Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every Liverpool game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.