Alexander Isak's Stunning Double Shines in Liverpool's Win

Alexander Isak needed only 10 minutes to rip up the script at Portman Road.

The Swedish striker struck twice in a blistering opening to Liverpool’s visit to Ipswich Town on Friday, Sept. 4, scoring in the sixth and ninth minutes to hand the Reds a dream start and leave the home side reeling.

Both goals carried the fingerprints of Cody Gakpo, who stayed on Merseyside past the transfer deadline despite interest from several clubs and then immediately underlined his value.

For the opener, Gakpo drifted inside off the flank, spotted Isak hovering on the edge of the box and slid a neat pass into his path. Isak didn’t hesitate. He let fly from distance, and although Ipswich goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen managed to get a touch, he couldn’t keep the shot out.

If the first was ruthless, the second was pure artistry.

Deep in his own half, Gakpo shaped his body and, with the outside of his boot, carved a stunning ball into the space between Ipswich’s back line and the top of the area. It was the kind of pass that invites trouble. Isak accepted.

He burst onto it, still with plenty to do, then showed the composure of a forward in full rhythm. A drop of the shoulder, sharp footwork to glide past his marker, and a cool left-footed finish completed a move that sliced Ipswich apart.

Those two strikes took Isak to three goals for the season, while Gakpo’s creative surge pushed him to three assists to go with his own solitary goal.

The rapid-fire double also carved out a slice of history. It was the fastest time a Liverpool player had scored twice from the opening whistle since 2011, when Maxi Rodriguez hit a quick brace against Fulham inside the first seven minutes. For Ipswich, it ranked among the quickest two-goal concessions the Tractor Boys have suffered in their history.

Barely a quarter of an hour had passed, and already this Premier League night had been stamped by a ruthless partnership that refused to wait for the season to settle.