Cody Gakpo Shines in Liverpool's Win Over Ipswich

Andoni Iraola never wavered. Not when the rumours rolled all summer, not when Manchester City circled with £85m on the table, not when Cody Gakpo’s future at Anfield was being pulled apart on every phone-in.

On Friday night at Portman Road, his conviction looked very well placed.

Gakpo ripped into Ipswich Town, stitching the game to his rhythm as Liverpool claimed a 2-0 win and their first three points of the new Premier League season. Within nine frantic minutes, the Netherlands international had twice teed up Alexander Isak, the pair dismantling the hosts with ruthless precision.

All the noise of June, July and August suddenly felt very distant.

From transfer saga to statement performance

For weeks, Gakpo’s name sat at the centre of the market storm. Reports suggested he was open to leaving, with Tottenham initially explored before a move to Manchester City became the preferred option. City were ready to pay big – £85m for the left-sided forward – but Liverpool stalled.

Not because they doubted the player. Because they couldn’t find a replacement.

As the deadline clock wound down, the club held their nerve and held onto Gakpo. Now, with the season underway, that decision already looks pivotal. The Dutchman has been one of Liverpool’s sharpest performers in pre-season and has carried that form straight into competitive action.

Iraola, speaking after the win over Ipswich, made it clear he never questioned what Gakpo would deliver.

“I had no doubt with Cody. He has been very, very good. All pre-season, [and] has started very well this season, producing numbers,” the Liverpool head coach said.

The numbers on the night backed him up: two assists, constant menace, and a tactical shift late on as Gakpo moved inside to finish the match as the No. 9, helping Liverpool close out the result.

For Iraola, that versatility is gold.

“Today, even after the two assists, he finishes as the No. 9 to help us close the game, and I think it’s good to have Cody because he can play in the three positions up top, like all of our other players,” he explained. “To have him in this place for the beginning of the season is good.”

Competition bites in Liverpool’s new-look attack

The pressure finally told on Ipswich early, but inside Liverpool the pressure is of a different kind: minutes are suddenly expensive in the forward line.

The club spent £123m on Bradley Barcola in the summer, adding him to a group that already includes Gakpo, Rio, and Victor. That depth gives Iraola options. It also guarantees some big names will sit.

When asked about Gakpo’s mentality amid that level of competition, Iraola was unequivocal.

“I think Cody knows how much we value him. I think there is no doubt. I rate him very highly,” he said. “I will demand [a lot] of him, obviously. He has also strong competition for minutes because we have good players in those positions, and it’s a matter of pushing each other.

“Now with Bradley, with Rio, with Victor, it’s a matter of sometimes they will start, sometimes they will come from the bench, sometimes they will not play. But this competition, I think, is going to be good for our team.”

The message is blunt but clear: nobody is guaranteed a place. Perform, or watch.

On this evidence, Gakpo has no intention of doing the latter.

Barcola’s cautious introduction

While Gakpo stole the headlines, there was a quieter subplot in Suffolk: the first real glimpse of Barcola in a Liverpool shirt.

Iraola handled him carefully. The Frenchman had not played a single minute since the World Cup, and the staff were wary of throwing him straight into the intensity of Premier League football.

“I think Bradley hadn’t played a single minute since the World Cup so we needed to be careful,” Iraola said. “I think he is training well, in a good place, and I think that he has helped us.”

Barcola showed flashes. Twice his movement went unseen by team-mates when he was ready to burst through on goal. On another occasion, he led a slick counter-attack and slipped a sharp pass that Gakpo finished – only for the move not to bring the goal it deserved.

“And also he has had a very good counter, very good passing side that I think Cody finished, but we didn’t score. But he was always a threat, you know?” Iraola added. “When he carries the ball, I think you can feel this threat and I’m happy because I think 30 minutes is going to be good for his fitness, for his build-up, and we will continue because now we play a lot of games, so he will have a chance to play more.”

Patience, Iraola stressed, will be key.

“I think it’s normal, he hasn’t played any pre-season minutes. I think he’s still in a good place. I don’t think he will need something like a very special build-up, but we have to be aware that he hasn’t been playing in a while and the demands of the games are very different from training, so we have got to consider this.”

Iraola’s gamble starts to take shape

Liverpool resisted £85m and the easy option of cashing in on Gakpo. They committed £123m to Barcola. They backed Iraola’s vision of a flexible, rotating front line where roles change and reputations don’t guarantee starts.

At Portman Road, the early return on that bold stance flickered into view: Gakpo dictating, Isak finishing, Barcola hinting at what might come once his legs catch up with his talent.

If this is Liverpool still finding their stride, what happens when all three forwards hit full speed?