Isak Ignites Liverpool with Double in Iraola's First Win
Alexander Isak did not just answer the questions around his record-breaking move. He tore them up in nine brutal minutes.
Twelve months on from his £125m switch from Newcastle United, the Swedish striker delivered his most explosive display in a Liverpool shirt, ripping through Ipswich Town before the newly promoted side had even settled into the contest in Suffolk.
By the time the clock ticked to nine minutes at Portman Road, Isak had beaten Kjell Scherpen twice and effectively killed the game. The criticism over his impact since arriving at Anfield suddenly felt very old.
Iraola off the mark
For Andoni Iraola, this was more than just three points. It was a first victory as Liverpool manager and a timely one, too.
Having opened the Premier League campaign with draws against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, he avoided an unwanted place in club history. Failure to win here would have made him the first Liverpool boss since Brendan Rodgers to go without a victory in his first three league matches. That narrative ended quickly.
Liverpool also ticked off another box. Isak’s opener in the sixth minute marked the first time this season they had taken the lead in a Premier League game, after twice having to come from behind in those early draws.
The breakthrough came with clinical simplicity. Cody Gakpo, drifting into space, sliced open Ipswich with an incisive pass. Isak took over, drilling a low finish inside Scherpen’s near post. One touch, one chance, one emphatic reminder of why Liverpool broke the British transfer record for him.
Portman Road had barely processed the first blow when the second landed.
Three minutes later, the same combination struck again. Gakpo picked his moment, Isak found his run, and the visitors’ lead doubled. The Swedish forward’s movement shredded the defensive line, and the finish was just as assured. It was already the third time this season Gakpo has set up Isak in the league, an understanding that is rapidly becoming Liverpool’s sharpest weapon.
Defence matches the swagger
The scoreline and the swagger came from the front, but Liverpool’s backline carried its weight in full.
Ipswich’s best opening arrived on the half-hour. A low ball to the far post looked tailor-made for Daizen Maeda, the home fans rising as he shaped to strike. Ronald Araujo, on his full debut, refused to play along. The Uruguay international threw himself into a last-ditch block, snuffing out the chance and preserving the clean sheet that Liverpool never looked inclined to surrender.
Isak almost completed his perfect first half. Just before the break, he turned in a low delivery from Florian Wirtz, only to see the assistant referee’s flag cut short the celebrations. The hat-trick would have to wait. Control of the contest did not.
Liverpool managed the second half with authority, the early burst allowing them to dictate tempo and territory. Ipswich huffed, but they rarely looked like dragging themselves back into the match.
Barcola’s first steps
There was another moment to savour for the travelling support in the final 25 minutes.
Bradley Barcola, signed from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m on Monday, stepped off the bench for his Liverpool debut. The French forward received a warm reception from the away end, a glimpse of a new attacking option dropped into an already expensive and explosive frontline.
By the final whistle, the table offered a small but welcome reward. Liverpool climbed to fifth on five points, steady rather than spectacular on paper, but with the sense that something more cohesive is beginning to form under Iraola. Ipswich, stuck on three points, sit 13th and will know that this was a harsh lesson in the realities of facing elite opposition.
Next comes a different kind of examination. Atletico Madrid await in the Champions League on Wednesday, a step up in intensity and streetwise resistance. After that, Fulham visit Anfield on 12 September.
Isak has finally lit the fuse. The question now is how far this Liverpool side can run with it.
