Alexander Isak Shines as Liverpool Secures First Win Under Iraola
IPSWICH, England — Liverpool didn’t creep to their first league win under Andoni Iraola. They tore into it.
After back‑to‑back 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, the new era had started with questions. At Portman Road on Friday night, Alexander Isak supplied emphatic answers inside nine frantic minutes of the first half, sealing a 2-0 win over promoted Ipswich and easing the early tension around Iraola’s reign.
Liverpool were sharp from the opening whistle. Aggressive, direct, and ruthless.
The breakthrough came on six minutes. Cody Gakpo slipped a measured pass into the right side of the box, where Isak peeled into space. The Sweden international didn’t hesitate. He lashed a fierce effort that thudded against goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen and spun into the net. It wasn’t pretty, but it was precisely what Liverpool needed — an early lead, and a striker in rhythm.
Ipswich barely had time to reset before the second blow landed.
Three minutes later, Gakpo again picked the lock, this time with a touch of flair. From deep, he used the outside of his boot to curl a long, arcing ball over the top of the home defence, perfectly weighted into Isak’s stride. The forward gathered, shifted his weight, and coolly switched feet before drilling his finish home. Two chances, two goals. Liverpool were cruising, and Ipswich were stunned.
The hosts, back in the Premier League after promotion at the end of last season, tried to regroup. They battled for territory, pushed their lines higher, and looked for a route back into the contest. But Liverpool, having already dropped points twice from winning positions this campaign, managed the game with far greater control this time.
Second Half
The second half carried a different kind of intrigue for the visitors.
On 63 minutes, the away end finally got its first look at Bradley Barcola in a Liverpool shirt. The France international, signed from Paris Saint-Germain on Monday in a blockbuster deal worth 123 million pounds ($166 million), stepped off the bench to make his debut. The fee brings its own spotlight; the cameo was more about settling in than stealing it.
Barcola’s introduction added fresh legs and a glimpse of the future, but the damage to Ipswich had long since been done. Liverpool kept the ball, tightened the spaces, and saw out the contest with the kind of composure Iraola will demand every week.
For Ipswich, it was a reminder of the step up in class. Three games into their return to the top flight, they now sit on two defeats and one win — a mixed opening that underlines both their potential and their vulnerability.
For Liverpool, it felt like a starting point. The first victory under a new coach, a statement performance from Isak, and a record signing on the pitch at last.
Now comes the real question: was this just a spark, or the start of something far more serious in Iraola’s Liverpool rebuild?
