Some 236 days after Alexander Isak signed for Liverpool, the moment finally arrived.

Latching onto Alexis Mac Allister’s wayward initial strike, his control was impressive and he clinically dispatched a left-footed shot beyond Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson to break the deadlock late in Saturday’s first half.

As the Anfield crowd erupted in celebration, Isak raced over to the touchline, where substitute Jeremie Frimpong was waiting with arms outstretched to embrace him.

It’s been a long time coming, but the most expensive player in the history of British football has belatedly scored his first home Premier League goal for Liverpool. The fact it’s taken until the back end of April to arrive underlines what a torrid campaign it’s been for the £125million ($169.1m at the current rate) Swedish striker.

“Did anyone ever think we would say this eight or nine months ago?” head coach Arne Slot asked rhetorically following a hard-fought 3-1 win which lifted Liverpool above Aston Villa into fourth on goal difference with four games each to go in the pursuit of Champions League qualification.

“That Alexander Isak just scored his first (Premier League) goal for Liverpool at Anfield (on this date)? That sums up this season a lot, that such an unbelievable striker has had such a tough time with injuries and not being available to play. But it is really nice he scored.

“When we signed him we knew he could score goals, and that’s what he showed today. Many times this season, we’ve had better chances than we had today. That is why it is important to have players who can score goals like this, because it can give you a big lift in a game. That’s what we have missed when he wasn’t available or when he was available but wasn’t at the level he can be.”

Alexander Isak scored his first home league goal for Liverpool 236 days after signing for £125m (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

Rewind to September 1, when Isak signed a six-year contract after completing a move from Newcastle United following a summer-long saga. His arrival was viewed as a statement of serious ambition from the new Premier League champions. It was the most extravagant purchase at the end of the biggest spending spree in club history. Isak talked about his desire to “create history” and “take my game to the next level”.

Unlike many of Liverpool’s other new arrivals in that transfer window, he was Premier League-proven, having scored 44 top-flight goals for Newcastle across the two previous seasons and was approaching his peak years (he turned 26 later that month). Having taken the No 9 shirt from the erratic Darwin Nunez, who had been sold to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal earlier in the summer, the upgrade was supposed to be vast.

However, Isak also lacked fitness, having missed most of pre-season as he effectively went on strike to try to force the transfer. Getting him up to speed proved harder than anyone at Liverpool envisaged, with a groin problem hampering his progress. Just when there were some signs of promise, the 26-year-old forward suffered a broken fibula in December after scoring away to  Tottenham Hotspur.

Nearly four months out followed, before he made his comeback off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals less than three weeks ago. The crushing blow of Liverpool losing this season’s 17-goal top scorer Hugo Ekitike to a ruptured Achilles tendon later in that same tie served to further crank up the pressure on Isak to start repaying that hefty fee.

Alexander Isak suffered a broken fibula in December (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Context is important. Isak still hasn’t completed 90 minutes as a Liverpool player and his goal against Palace came from his only attempt of the afternoon. There are still issues Slot needs to resolve in terms of the service he receives and creating a better understanding with the players around him.

However, getting the best out of Isak remains absolutely pivotal to Slot’s mission to revive his Anfield reign after this significant dip following his title-winning debut year. When the Dutchman talks about the future being bright, it relies heavily on his two most expensive signings fulfilling their rich potential.

Florian Wirtz, who could end up costing Liverpool £116million, has fared considerably better than Isak since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen last summer. But the gifted Germany international has still struggled to live up to his billing.

Like Isak, there are mitigating factors. In Wirtz’s case, he’s a 22-year-old living outside his homeland for the first time. He’s been trying to make his mark in a malfunctioning team. The pace and physicality of the Premier League have also been a shock compared with the Bundesliga, with Liverpool planning out on an extensive gym programme to ensure he bulked up.

Saturday marked the first time Isak and Wirtz have started three successive matches together. It is also the first time they have both scored for the club in the same game.

Wirtz was influential in the blistering counter-attack that doubled the lead against Palace on 40 minutes as he picked out the run of Curtis Jones, who provided the assist for Andy Robertson. Then, deep into stoppage time, he ensured that the controversy over Daniel Munoz reducing the deficit, into an empty net while goalkeeper Freddie Woodman was down injured, got relegated to a footnote.

Mac Allister’s lay-off was inviting and Wirtz provided an emphatic finish for his first goal since January’s 4-1 win against Newcastle. He now has seven to go with eight assists in 46 appearances (39 of them starts) in all competitions in his debut season. He’s capable of much more.

Woodman was deservedly serenaded by the Kop after the final whistle in recognition of his heroics on his full league debut for the club.

There was also concern for Mohamed Salah, who may have played his last game for the club due to a hamstring injury suffered here.

With Salah waving goodbye to Anfield at season’s end and fellow forward Federico Chiesa also expected to leave in the summer, Liverpool’s attacking department is braced for another overhaul in the coming transfer window. Ekitike’s absence for at least six months must also be factored into the club’s recruitment plans.

Whoever arrives will be signed to complement both Isak and Wirtz. Those two remain the crown jewels a new-look Liverpool team will be built around.