Alexander Isak Shines in Liverpool's Victory Over Ipswich
Alexander Isak finally looked every inch the £125m striker Liverpool paid for.
On a warm afternoon in Suffolk, the Swedish forward ripped through Ipswich Town with the kind of ruthless display Anfield had been waiting a year to see. Two goals inside nine frantic minutes, a third narrowly chalked off, and a newly promoted side flattened before they had time to feel the pace of the Premier League.
Isak explodes, Iraola off the mark
This was more than just a statement from Liverpool’s record signing. It was a landmark day for Andoni Iraola as well. Under quiet but growing scrutiny after back-to-back draws against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, the Spaniard needed a result. He got it, and with it his first victory as Liverpool manager, swerving the unwanted distinction of becoming the club’s first boss since Brendan Rodgers to go winless in his opening three league games.
The tone was set almost immediately.
Six minutes in, Cody Gakpo split the Ipswich back line with a sharp, vertical pass. Isak didn’t hesitate. One touch to steady himself, then a low, drilled finish that flew past Kjell Scherpen at the near post. Clinical. Cold. Liverpool, for the first time this league season, had the lead instead of the deficit.
Portman Road barely had time to process the setback before the same combination struck again. Three minutes later, Gakpo once more found space and picked out Isak, whose movement and timing shredded Ipswich’s defensive shape. The Swede buried his second, and the home crowd fell almost silent. The contest, in truth, was already tilting beyond them.
It was the third time this campaign that Gakpo has set up Isak in the Premier League, a partnership beginning to develop a dangerous rhythm. One pass, one run, one finish – again and again.
Defence stands firm as Ipswich flicker
Ipswich, shell-shocked but not completely broken, finally carved out a moment on the half-hour. A deep cross to the far post found Daizen Maeda sneaking in behind, and for a split second the home fans rose, sensing a lifeline. Ronald Araujo had other ideas.
On his full debut, the Uruguay international read the danger, slid across, and threw himself in front of Maeda’s effort. A block as vital as any goal. Liverpool’s back line, questioned in those opening draws, held its shape and its nerve.
From there, Iraola’s side controlled the tempo. Isak thought he had his hat-trick before the break, ghosting into the box to turn in a low ball from Florian Wirtz. The finish was tidy, the celebrations brief. The assistant’s flag went up, and the third goal vanished into the air. Offside. No argument, just a rueful smile from the striker and a reminder that Ipswich were hanging on by the thinnest of threads.
Liverpool, though, never looked like letting that control slip.
Barcola arrives, Liverpool look ahead
If Isak’s display was the headline act, the final 25 minutes offered a tantalising glimpse of what might come next. Bradley Barcola, signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m earlier in the week, stepped off the bench to a loud welcome from the travelling support.
The French forward didn’t need a goal to make an impression. His movement was sharp, his intent obvious, and every touch carried the buzz of a new era in Liverpool’s attack. With Isak already firing and Gakpo knitting things together, Iraola suddenly has a front line that looks both expensive and explosive.
When the whistle went, the numbers were simple enough. Liverpool up to fifth, on five points. Ipswich stuck in 13th with three. A clean sheet, a manager’s first win, and a record signing finally playing like one.
Now the schedule tightens. Atletico Madrid await in the Champions League on Wednesday, a very different kind of examination for Iraola’s evolving side, before Fulham come to Anfield on 12 September.
If this is the version of Isak Liverpool are getting from here on, how far can they ride this momentum?
