For Sheringham, the debate about the division’s leading No.9 does not have Haaland at the top of it.
“For me, he’s the best striker in the Premier League. He is phenomenal,” the former Manchester United and England forward told Hajper of Isak.
Sheringham, who won three Premier League titles at United, built his case on how Isak moves rather than how often he scores.
“When other strikers would be standing still on the penalty spot, he’s watching what is going on, always on the move in the box.”
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“He looks back to his very best, sharp shooting, getting it out of his feet and… bang, goal!”
Four in five after a lost first year
The verdict lands with Isak in his sharpest form at Liverpool since the record £125m move from Newcastle in the summer of 2025. An injury-disrupted first season on Merseyside brought just three Premier League goals in 14 appearances, eight of them starts.
The 27-year-old has already passed that tally with four Premier League goals in his opening five matches of the new season, with his strikes against Ipswich Town the ones Sheringham singled out as “terrific”.
Sheringham linked Isak’s revival to how Liverpool are using him, suggesting the earlier experiments with two centre-forwards blunted the Sweden international.
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“I’d like to see him win the Golden Boot this year, and not just to beat Erling Haaland but for the way that Isak plays the game, and how hungry he is for goals.”
Haaland’s numbers are the counter-argument
Haaland has heard the “best striker” question before. He has five goals in five starts for Manchester City this season and 169 goals in 205 appearances for the club across all competitions since his 2022 arrival.
Pep Guardiola made his own ranking clear when Isak first signed for Liverpool, placing Haaland “a little bit above” the Swede and insisting he would not swap his own forward for anyone.
“Isak is an exceptional player. You asked me about Erling, and he is top,” Guardiola said at the time.
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“I wouldn’t change Erling for anyone. I know him. I like him.”
Haaland has won the Premier League Golden Boot in three of his four seasons in England, interrupted only by Mohamed Salah’s 2024/25 run.
Isak vs Haaland at Anfield, 11 October
Isak and Haaland will share a pitch on Sunday, 11 October, when Manchester City travel to Anfield.
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