Five Sweden players to watch against Azerbaijan

Swedish Azerbaijan: Players to watch 

Sweden takes on Azerbaijan Tuesday, and there will be many players on the pitch worth watching.

But who are they?

Check them out here.

Alexander Isak – Newcastle United, Striker

It’s no secret that Isak is one of the best strikers in football right now and arguably the second best in the Premier League behind Haaland. There’s so much about Isak which resembles his idol Thierry Henry. He wears the same  #14 on his shirt. Isak plays with swagger. He takes on players. And, despite being so tall, Isak has great technical ability and quick feet in tight spaces.

There are several of the top teams around who are still in need of a new striker. Isak will be at the top of their lists. Henry’s previous club Arsenal have been heavily linked however Newcastle aren’t likely to be willing to sell. That being said, if Arsenal managed to sign Isak, he could be the missing piece to get them the title they’re longing for.

In Sweden’s last game, Isak put in a man of the match performance scoring a goal and getting an assist to lead them to a 2-1 victory against Slovakia. Isak’s ability to run in behind stretching the defense, play well-weighted through balls and take on players makes him a relentless player who causes defenders a lot of problems.

Viktor Gyökeres – Sporting CP, Striker

The 2nd player and second striker on the list is the ever-mentioned Viktor Gyökeres. Gyökeres has been in red hot form for both club and country scoring 28 goals and getting 8 assists in 23 games. Last season Gyökeres scored 43 goals and got 15 assists in 50 games, so despite such impressive numbers last season, he’s in even better form this season. In fact, he’s already scored three hat-tricks this season, one of those coming against Pep Guardiola’s Man City in a 4-1 win.

Gyökeres is a killer on transitions. He’s such a powerful runner in behind the defence and selflessly runs the channels to create space and chances for others in the box. His style doesn’t necessarily suit teams who are used to playing high possession football with a slow build-up play, instead he suits fast, direct football. This may put off some of the big teams as they play a style that mirrors the former not the latter. But they equally may see him as worth taking the risk now he’s proven himself at international level and in the Champions League.

Dejan Kulusevski – Tottenham, Attacking-Midfielder

Kulusevski is the one player who’s least likely to leave their current team. But it’s impossible not to mention him when talking about Sweden’s key players. This season, moving to a more central role for Tottenham has been huge in increasing his impact on games. In more central areas he’s key in chance creation. The move here also suits the Swedish national team. Now, there’s a natural way to fit him into the team with both Gyökeres and Isak. The trio could lead Sweden to new heights. He’s unlikely to leave Tottenham any time soon. But if Manchester City look to spend big on a Kevin De Bruyne replacement, he may be an option.

Sebastian Nanasi – RC Strasbourg, Attacking-Midfielder

Nanasi joined Strasbourg in the summer from Malmö for around €11m and has since lit up Ligue 1. The attacking midfielder/winger hybrid was a hidden gem in Sweden but now he’s in a top five league, he won’t be hidden for much longer. In 17 Allsvenskan games, he had 6 goals and 9 assists. Now in his first 10 Ligue 1 games he has 3 goals and 2 assists. His creativity will provide some serious competition for Kulusevski.

Yasin Ayari – Brighton, Central-Midfielder

Brighton have done it again. Their talent ID and recruitment is top tier.  They’ve again picked up a player of so much ability for next to nothing relative to other Premier League transfers. Back in January 2023 Brighton picked up Ayari from AIK for only €4m. After loan spells in the Championship with both Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers, Brighton’s new manager Fabian Hürzeler decided to keep him at Brighton for this season.

Very few expected Ayari to have such a big role this season.  He has started in five Premier League games this season including Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool. He’s also started all five of Sweden’s Nation’s League fixtures. Ayari will surely be on the move for big money in the near future for Brighton.

Sweden Azerbaijan takes place Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. EST.