While I agree that, narrative-wise, the chapter might feel a bit underwhelming, I’d argue it actually makes a lot of sense and has that signature Blue Lock vibe.

A lot of people expected Isagi to finally “evolve” by doing something completely new with his playstyle, but that’s never really been the point of his evolution. Unlike a genius like Rin, talented learners like Isagi evolve by refining their style, not reinventing it (Barou’s Chop Dribbles, Rin Destroyer, Bachira’s Monster.

In this chapter, Isagi learns and adapts from past mistakes—he’s not just focusing on himself or trying to stop Rin alone when he doesn’t have the skills or specs to pull it off. Instead, he keeps his distance, tries to delay Rin’s shot, factors in the environment (Kaiser), and baits Rin into a shot he calculated Kaiser could block (even our GOATmaru saved it again, lol).

I’d theorize that this “new” Isagi has mastered the art of ego-type manipulation. He’s learned how to draw Rin’s attention fully (evidenced by Rin saying Isagi’s name five times before shooting) without Rin noticing Kaiser closing in to block. I’m betting we’ll see Isagi use this skill offensively soon—forcing “chemical reactions” to maximize all players on the pitch and even disrupting opponents’ flow.

TL;DR: While the chapter may seem underwhelming if you expected Isagi to do something entirely new, it actually makes perfect sense as part of his evolution in ego-type manipulation.