Sulking Isak has burnt his bridges ... as others keep dignity intact

PERHAPS if Alexander Isak took time off from feeling sorry for himself and looked round football’s landscape it might dawn on him that manners maketh man.

- JOHNGIBSON

While Isak sulks and skulks in the corner of his self-imposed exile, fellow Premier League stars acted very differently on the opening weekend of the Premier League season under similar difficult circumstances.

It was automatically thought that Eberechi Eze would be left out of Crystal Palace’s team to play world club champions Chelsea with his proposed big-money transfer to Spurs reaching a critical stage in negotiations.

However, to the surprise of most not only did Eze start he produced a man-of-the-match performance and but for a little-known rule would have scored the winner. So much for going on strike or sulking!

At the same time, England international and club captain Marc Guehi gave it his all just as he did to help Palace win the FA Cup and Community Shield after his transfer to Newcastle United was repeatedly blocked in the last transfer window as Palace tried to squeeze the last penny out of the payers and speculation about a new deal with Liverpool was rife.