Sports
Is Alexander Isak the striker who troubles Virgil van Dijk more than any other?
You could make a strong case that this year’s Carabao Cup final will see Europe’s most threatening striker come up against its strongest centre-back.
Alexander Isak has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season as he looks to surpass a career-best tally of 25, achieved in 2023-24. If he wants to add to that total on Sunday, he will likely need to get the better of Liverpool’s imperious captain, Virgil van Dijk.
But for some tightness in his groin, Isak could have got in some further practice against Van Dijk in last month’s Premier League match at Anfield — a game in which Newcastle were comfortably beaten after failing to register a single shot on target.
Even without Isak in the side that night, Van Dijk made sure to give the Sweden international the praise he deserved before their impending battle at Wembley.
“A final is always different and we’re very wary of the threat they possess,” Van Dijk said after his side’s 2-0 win on February 26. “We know Isak is definitely the most in-form striker at the moment in world football, so you know when he’s back that will give them a boost.”
On the one hand, the broad statistics help us draw a simple conclusion about the pair’s previous battles. Liverpool have won four and drawn one of the games in which Van Dijk and Isak have both started for their respective sides.
However, to say the Dutch international has had things his own way across those five games would only be telling half the story.
Isak has scored three and assisted one of the seven goals Newcastle have managed when facing Liverpool in that time. Only Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Solly March (both five) have more combined goals and assists against Liverpool since the start of 2022-23 — with neither being centre-forwards aiming to lock horns with Liverpool’s centre-backs.
Put simply, Isak has caused Liverpool’s captain issues every time the pair have shared the same turf. So what can we expect on Sunday?
Given Isak has a tendency to drift to the left side of Newcastle’s attack, it may be that Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate is the man who should be more aware of the 25-year-old’s threat.
Not including last season’s game, when Van Dijk was sent off — don’t worry, we’ll get to that — you can see Isak’s tendency to pull away from the Dutchman’s side in his early matches, before going toe-to-toe in his last two games against Liverpool.
There are not too many strikers who can match Van Dijk’s physical attributes in terms of pace, power, and height, and there are signs the 33-year-old plays slightly differently against Isak for that reason.
Van Dijk does not typically seek out defensive work for himself, but in each game they have played, there is a greater inclination to get touch-tight to Isak to nullify any threat before it really develops — whether that be close to his own penalty area or pushing high to follow Isak’s deeper runs.
With Isak pulling into those wider left channels in Newcastle’s attack, there are even occasions of Van Dijk being willing to drift out of position — running across his own centre-back — to follow the Sweden international rather than pass him onto a team-mate.
Such is the threat he offers that Isak has the ability to drag Van Dijk into areas he does not want to be in.
Liverpool’s captain sees it as something of an insult if he is ever asked to put the afterburners on and engage in a sprint, but he was forced to match Isak’s speed and pull across to the far touchline to engage during their most recent meeting at St James’ Park.
Not many centre-forwards go up against Van Dijk in a one-on-one battle and come out the other side with the ball at their feet, but Isak managed to pull ahead of the defender, which acted as a warning sign within the opening 15 minutes of December’s match.
Isak had clearly spooked Van Dijk with his movement and it was only 20 minutes later that he punished some uncharacteristically confused defending with an incredible finish.
Stationed between Liverpool’s centre-backs, Isak received a punched ball from Bruno Guimaraes with his left foot. Note that Newcastle’s No 14 is not in the eyeline of Van Dijk, forcing the Dutchman to swivel his body quickly when the pass is made — meaning there is a period when he is not looking at the man or ball as he looks to regain his orientation (see frame 2 below).
As the old football adage goes, when a striker can see the defender’s number, they know they have beaten them. Isak’s shot from distance is sublime, but the movement and speed of action are what turn Van Dijk inside out to create separation.
Playing on the last line is a particularly strong part of Isak’s game. He tends to start in an offside position before dropping back onside just as the opposition back line drops.
Much like an old-school No 9, Isak will place himself between the centre-backs to avoid being marked and attack the space in behind following a team-mate’s through ball. This can be seen from the two teams’ meeting in December…
… but it is a sequence that has proven lucrative for Isak against Liverpool’s back line.
In their game at Anfield last season, it was a similar sequence that featured Anthony Gordon cutting inside from the touchline before playing a purposeful slide pass behind the Liverpool defensive line. Isak barely needed to break stride as he ran between the centre-backs to finish beyond Alisson.
Earlier that season, it was an identical sequence that led to Van Dijk’s dismissal at St James’ Park. Gordon comes inside, Isak is placed between the centre-backs and a through ball enables Newcastle’s forward to race away.
If not for Van Dijk’s swipe at Isak in which he took man then ball, you would have likely seen another coolly taken finish from Isak. Had it been another, less-threatening Premier League striker, you could be confident Van Dijk would have simply ushered his man away from goal without making a challenge.
Newcastle’s injury and suspension issues mean Eddie Howe’s side will not be at full strength at Wembley — particularly down their left side — but they will provide a physical battle with their typical energy across the pitch.
Liverpool are the only ever-present Premier League side Howe has failed to beat in any competition since taking charge of Newcastle in November 2021, but any team with Isak has a fighting chance.
Crucially, if any striker could be named as Van Dijk’s kryptonite in recent years, it would be Isak.
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Who’ll win the Golden Boot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup? The race is on for who’ll score the most goals at the tournament, and it is set to be one of the tournament’s most closely watched storylines.
Several of the world’s top forwards will be aiming to finish as the competition’s leading goalscorer. Kylian Mbappé enters the tournament after winning the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Mikel Oyarzabal are among the other players expected to challenge for the award.
And check out our list of all the 2026 World Cup goals, ranked!
Favorites To Win The Golden Boot
Harry Kane: +310 (bet $10 to win $41 total)
Lionel Messi: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Kylian Mbappé: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Erling Haaland: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Kai Havertz: +1300 (bet $10 to win $140 total)
Vinícius Júnior: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)
Folarin Balogun: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Mikel Oyarzabal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Lamine Yamal: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)
Raphinha: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Michael Olise: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Romelu Lukaku: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Viktor Gyökeres: +4500 (bet $10 to win $460 total)
Cody Gakpo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
Cristiano Ronaldo: +5500 (bet $10 to win $560 total)
3 Goals
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2 Goals
Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
Harry Kane (England)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Kylian Mbappé (France)
Harry Kane (England)
Elijah Just (New Zealand)
Yasin Ayari (Sweden)
Kai Havertz (Germany)
Folarin Balogun (USA)
1 Goal
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
Rubén Vargas (Switzerland)
Ermin Mahmic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Michal Sadilek (Czechia)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa)
Jáminton Campaz (Colombia)
Luis Díaz (Colombia)
Daniel Muñoz (Colombia)
Abbosbek Fayzullaev (Uzbekistan)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Martin Baturina (Croatia)
Petar Musa (Croatia)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Marko Arnautović (Austria)
Jude Bellingham (England)
Marcus Rashford (England)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo)
João Neves (Portugal)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana)
Ali Olwan (Jordan)
Romano Schmid (Austria)
Leo Østigard (Norway)
Ayman Hussein (Iraq)
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal)
Bradley Barcola (France)
Ramin Rezaeian (Iran)
Mohammad Mohebbi (Iran)
Maxi Araújo (Uruguay)
Abdulelah Al-Amri (Saudi Arabia)
Emam Ashour (Egypt)
Alexander Isak (Sweden)
Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden)
Mattias Svanberg (Sweden)
Omar Rekik (Tunisia)
Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast)
Keito Nakamura (Japan)
Daichi Kamada (Japan)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands)
Felix Nmecha (Germany)
Nico Schlotterbeck (Germany)
Jamal Musiala (Germany)
Nathaniel Brown (Germany)
Deniz Undav (Germany)
Connor Metcalfe (Australia)
Nestory Irankunda (Australia)
John McGinn (Scotland)
Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
Breel Embolo (Switzerland)
Gio Reyna (USA)
Mauricio (Paraguay)
Cyle Larin (Canada)
Jovo Lukić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Ladislav Krejcí (Czechia)
Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
Raúl Jimenez (Mexico)
Hwang In-Beom (South Korea)
Oh Hyeon-Gyu (South Korea)
Own Goals
Yazan Al-Arab (Jordan; 1)
Ayman Hussein (Iraq; 1)
Mohamed Hany (Egypt; 1)
Miro Muheim (Switzerland; 1)
Damián Bobadilla (Paraguay; 1)
Last 5 Golden Boot Winners
- 2022 (Qatar): Kylian Mbappé (France) – 8 goals
- 2018 (Russia): Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals
- 2014 (Brazil): James Rodríguez (Colombia) – 6 goals
- 2010 (South Africa): Thomas Müller (Germany) – 5 goals
- 2006 (Germany): Miroslav Klose (Germany) – 5 goals
Sports
Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria receive lengthy medical suspensions after UFC Freedom 250 fight
Justin Gaethje waited a long time to become an undisputed UFC champion.
Now the 37-year-old MMA star might have to wait another six months or so before fighting again.
Gaethje upset former two-weight champion Ilia Topuria with a technical knockout in a lightweight unification championship bout at the UFC Freedom 250 event Sunday on the White House South Lawn.
Topuria was a bloody and swollen mess by the time his corner stopped the fight between the fourth and fifth rounds. Gaethje executed a soaring back flip off the cage to celebrate his first undisputed belt, but it turns out that the former two-time interim champion also suffered significant injuries during the bout.
Both Gaethje and Topuria were among the five UFC Freedom 250 fighters who received 180-day medical suspensions from the Assn. of Boxing and Combative Sports Commissions, according to a list issued by the commissions and viewed by The Times.
Ilia Topuria suffered two broken orbital bones during his loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 in Washington.
(Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
Gaethje’s suspension can be shortened if he is cleared with negative MRIs for his right wrist and left knee. Topuria, who suffered two broken orbital bones, can return early if cleared by a an Oral and Maxillofacial Foundation specialist.
Both men also are required to serve mandatory rest days (45 for Gaethje, 60 for Topuria).
Alex Pereira, who lost his interim heavyweight title bout to Ciryl Gane by TKO, was medically suspended for 180 days or until he’s cleared with a negative maxillofacial CT scan. Undercard fighters Aiemann Zahabi and Steve Garcia also received 180-day medical suspensions.
Topuria won the UFC featherweight championship by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024. He vacated that title a year later and in June 2025 defeated Charles Oliveira by knockout to claim lightweight belt.
In November, Topuria announced he was temporarily stepping away from fighting. Gaethje earned the interim lightweight title in January by defeating Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision.
That set up the unification bout between Gaethje and Topuria, which was the final fight of an elaborate event at the White House held on President Trump’s 80th birthday and billed as part of a summer-long celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary.
Sports
Deion Sanders wanted more from his son, Shedeur Sanders, but backs development plan after Myles Garrett trade
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Cleveland Browns entered last season with one of the NFL’s more crowded quarterback rooms.
Shedeur Sanders took over as starting quarterback in Week 12 last season, and after two more starts, he was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Sanders’ stunning slide to the fifth round of the 2025 draft set the stage for him becoming one of the most scrutinized rookies in recent memory.
Few know Shedeur’s game better than Deion Sanders, his father and former college coach. On Wednesday, the two-time Super Bowl champion reflected on his son’s rookie season.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders throws a pass to tight end Harold Fannin Jr. during the first half of an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills in Cleveland, Ohio, on Dec. 21, 2025. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
After Shedeur endured an uneven rookie season for the 5-12 Browns, the Colorado football coach said he hoped for more from his son but also pointed to the support young quarterbacks need early in their development.
“I would have wanted him to perform a little better, but that’s not just an individual thing, that’s a team thing,” Sanders told Covers while speaking on behalf of his partnership with Depend.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders greets his dad Deion Sanders before an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills in Cleveland on Dec. 21, 2025. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
“A quarterback needs help tremendously from the offensive line, from the receivers, from the running game, from the coordinators as well. “It’s not just a singular thing, like a defensive back. I don’t care what the pass rush is, (the DB) has got to do his job. It’s a little different with a quarterback. He needs several things to go right for him to be successful.”
BROWNS GM ANDREW BERRY WON’T COMMIT TO SHEDEUR SANDERS AS 2026 STARTER DESPITE ROOKIE’S PROGRESS
Sanders also weighed in on Cleveland’s decision to trade the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, a move that underscored the Browns’ rebuild.
“I’m happy with Mr. Berry, the GM, and what he’s doing, I’m not going to question his direction of what he’s bringing to the table,” Sanders said of Browns general manager Andrew Berry.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders warms up before an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers in Cleveland on Nov. 30, 2025. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
“I’m not there, so I don’t know all the intangibles that provoked that trade. I’m happy with what they got, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Sanders finished his rookie season 3-4 as a starter, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
New York1 hour agoVideo: Knicks Fans Celebrate With Ticker-Tape Parade
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoArmed, dangerous CHP pursuit suspect tied to double homicide in Pomona
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoFirst responders honored after rescuing 12 people from capsized sailboats near Belle Isle
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoOakland man faces hate crime charges for Castro District attack
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoAt least 4 injured after vehicle drives into Dallas crowd, driver arrested
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoMiami Central students prepare for life changing trip to Zimbabwe amid funding challenges
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoGiannis to Boston is a possibility. Should the Knicks be worried?
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver Public Schools’ decline in enrollment continues to reshape district
