Andoni Iraola secured his first Premier League win as Liverpool head coach as Alexander Isak scored twice inside nine minutes to beat Ipswich Town 2-0 at Portman Road. The result gives the Reds their first three points of the new league campaign after a stuttering start to the season under their new manager.
Isak, who arrived at Anfield in a high-profile summer move, opened the scoring midway through the first half before doubling the lead shortly after. The Sweden international’s quickfire double proved decisive against an Ipswich side that had started the match brightly but ultimately had no answer to Liverpool’s attacking quality.
The match also marked the debut of Bradley Barcola, Liverpool’s £123 million summer signing. The French winger had been widely expected to feature for the Reds and was introduced from the bench, making his long-anticipated bow in English football. His arrival at the club was one of the standout deals of the transfer window, and supporters will now hope he can add further firepower to an already formidable forward line.
For Iraola, the win will come as a relief after a difficult opening to his tenure. The former Bournemouth boss was appointed as Liverpool head coach in the summer, succeeding the previous regime, and had been under pressure to deliver results quickly given the club’s ambitions. A first victory in the league will ease some of that pressure and provide a platform for the team to build momentum in the weeks ahead.
Ipswich, meanwhile, will be disappointed to have come away empty-handed. The newly promoted side had shown promise in their early fixtures and will have fancied their chances of causing an upset on home soil. However, they were ultimately undone by a clinical Liverpool performance, and manager Kieran McKenna will now look to regroup ahead of the next round of fixtures.
The result leaves Liverpool with four points from their opening three matches of the season, while Ipswich remain winless and will be anxious to get their first points on the board. The Premier League table is still taking shape, but early-season form can prove significant, and both clubs will be keen to establish consistency as the campaign progresses.
Attention now turns to the international break, which will give Iraola and his coaching staff time to work with the squad before Liverpool return to domestic action. Ipswich will also use the pause to address their defensive frailties and sharpen their attacking play ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.