Liverpool snagged their first Premier League win of the season on Friday night at Portman Road, and man, Alexander Isak was absolutely the reason why. It wasn’t just a win; it was new manager Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League victory, and a couple of guys really stepped up big time to make it happen for the Reds.
The Reds’ Attack Explodes
Seriously, if you were watching, Alexander Isak finally looked like the player Liverpool splashed cash on. The dude bagged two early goals by just absolutely torching the Ipswich defense with his pace and clever movement. Those finishes? Ice cold. He was running behind the defense and making clever moves, finally showing the best of Alexander Isak at last. He got an 8 rating, and honestly, it felt deserved after what he put on display. But you can’t talk about Isak’s goals without giving all the credit to Cody Gakpo. Gakpo was truly outstanding, dishing out two superb passes that set up both of Isak’s opening goals. The BBC Sport guys even said he “could have been playing for Manchester City,” and man, you can bet Liverpool fans are glad he wasn’t. He snagged a monster 9 rating for his performance. This attack, with those two firing like that, felt like it just woke up for new manager Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League win.
Ipswich’s Rough Night and Reds’ Other Movers
Now, on the other side of the pitch, Ipswich keeper Kjell Scherpen had an absolute nightmare to kick things off. He was desperately poor on Alexander Isak’s early goal, just super weak, and it totally set the tone for Ipswich, getting them off to the worst possible start. Their defense, led by Dara O’Shea, just got run ragged by Isak’s movement and Gakpo’s creation. Dara O’Shea himself had a hard time. Jacob Greaves had a seriously stern test against an inspired Cody Gakpo, showing the quality he will face in the Premier League. Ipswich’s main threat was Julio Enciso, who was tireless and never gave up even when the odds were against him, getting a 7 rating, but even he couldn’t quite find the final ball. Daizen Maeda was basically invisible, making no impact at all before being taken off, which, oof. For Liverpool, Ronald Araujo had an impressive Premier League debut at right-back, strong in the air and on the ground, making important interventions to earn a 7 rating. Virgil van Dijk was his usual, unruffled self in the face of frantic Ipswich attacks, also getting a 7. Jeremy Jacquet looked solid next to Van Dijk, continuing to prove he is a very fine acquisition. Dominik Szoboszlai was making driving runs all over the midfield, always willing to test the keeper, and looked strong with a 7 rating. Alexis Mac Allister, though not quite at his best with too many misplaced passes, never hid or shirked responsibility. Florian Wirtz showed subtle touches that hint at good things to come, even if he was occasionally lightweight.
This first win for Iraola and Liverpool feels like a massive exhale, especially at Portman Road. Seeing Isak finally deliver with those cool finishes, backed up by Gakpo’s incredible vision, it gives you a real feel for what this team can become. They brought on Bradley Barcola, the £123m signing, in the second half, and he already showed flashes of lightning pace. Ryan Gravenberch came on to help shut things down, too. You gotta wonder if this is the start of something big for this Liverpool squad this season, especially with that kind of firepower showing up early.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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