Gakpo assists twice as Isak double gives Liverpool 2-0 win at Ipswich

Liverpool claimed their first Premier League win of the Andoni Iraola era with a 2-0 victory over Ipswich at Portman Road. Alexander Isak scored twice in three first-half minutes, with Cody Gakpo providing both assists and Bradley Barcola making his Reds debut from the bench. The result settles early nerves after a difficult opening two games without a league win.

• Isak scored two goals in three minutes, his first brace for Liverpool since his £125m move from Newcastle.
• Gakpo set up both goals and was the team's most influential attacker again, a week after an £80m deal to Manchester City seemed possible.
• Bradley Barcola made his Liverpool debut as a second-half substitute in the 63rd minute.
• Ipswich saw an 18-game unbeaten home league run come to an end after a shaky defensive display.
• Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo started at right-back ahead of Jeremie Frimpong.

Isak's quick double gets Iraola's Liverpool up and running

The Sweden international needed only three minutes to settle the contest in Suffolk. Six minutes in, Gakpo slid a precise pass into his strike partner, who finished firmly at the near post. Ipswich goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen will not want to see it back; the Dutch shot-stopper should have kept the effort out.

The second goal followed almost immediately. Gakpo again found Isak in behind with a delicious outside-of-the-foot pass, and the striker cut one way and then the other before slotting coolly past Iversen with his left foot. The goals were his first for Liverpool since joining from Newcastle, a signing that had been criticised for delivering modest numbers in front of goal until now.

Why Gakpo remains Liverpool's key attacker

Cody Gakpo once again looked like Liverpool's most important player in the final third. He scored on the opening weekend against Newcastle, assisted against Nottingham Forest last week and added two more at Portman Road. His influence stretched across creation and finishing, as he operated as a number nine during the final half-hour.

I had no doubt with Cody. He has been very good all the pre-season, has started the season very well, producing numbers. I think Cody knows how much we value him, I think there is no doubt. I rate him very highly.

Iraola also highlighted how quickly Gakpo gambled with sharp forward passes instead of choosing the safe option. That directness fits the Basque coach's tactical approach, which demands immediate vertical play whenever the team regains possession.

Barcola's debut and Iraola's attacking dilemma

Bradley Barcola entered the game in the 63rd minute, replacing Isak, and immediately showed flashes of his ability: quick turns, sharp feet and an explosive burst of pace in behind. The Frenchman, one of the most expensive signings in English football history, started on the bench after missing his previous club's entire pre-season due to France's World Cup campaign.

Barcola's arrival raises an immediate question: how will Iraola fit all his attacking options into the same team? Gakpo has been thriving from the left, the new signing's preferred position. Victor Munoz impressed again on the right, and young Rio Ngumoha is pushing for minutes. It is a welcome headache for the Liverpool boss, who must decide whether to move Gakpo or keep him in his current role.

Ipswich's defensive collapse and Liverpool's solidity

Gary O'Neil's side looked disjointed at the back and lacked cutting edge in the final third. Their 18-game unbeaten home league streak ended with a display well below the standards that had earned them a strong start to the season. The hosts offered too much space, and Liverpool could have extended the lead before the break.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz had multiple sights of goal and will be frustrated not to have scored. Ronald Araujo, on loan from Barcelona, started at right-back and looked solid when Ipswich found space behind Liverpool's high press. His intervention to clear a ball from Julio Enciso's cross prevented what looked like a certain equaliser.

What the Portman Road win means for Liverpool's season

The victory arrives at an important moment for Iraola's project. Liverpool had fallen behind in each of their first two matches and needed to stop an early-season drift. The club has not gone seven Premier League games without a win for 24 years, and there was no danger of matching that unwanted record in Suffolk.

Heavy investment has been made in Isak, Barcola and Wirtz, and the success of Iraola's tenure will depend heavily on getting those expensive signings firing. The margin of victory was not huge, but a clean sheet, a bright debut and a double from the club's leading striker provide a solid foundation for the weeks ahead.

Frequently asked questions about Liverpool's win at Ipswich