Isak's Double Secures Liverpool's First Win Under Iraola

Liverpool needed nine minutes. That was all.

Alexander Isak struck twice in a blistering start at Ipswich Town as Liverpool claimed a 2–0 Premier League victory and delivered Andoni Iraola his first win in charge.

Ipswich barely had time to settle before the visitors ripped into them. Isak finished both early chances with the kind of cold precision that kills a contest before it even breathes. Each time, Cody Gakpo was the creator, threading the passes that sliced open the home side’s defence.

Two assists, nine minutes, one transfer subplot.

Gakpo’s performance came in the same week Manchester City lodged a transfer offer for the forward, a bid that has put his name firmly under the summer spotlight. On this evidence, Liverpool will not be eager sellers.

The early blitz gave Liverpool exactly what they had lacked in their opening two league games: control. After back-to-back 2–2 draws with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, Iraola’s side finally managed to lock a game down. They protected the lead, managed the tempo, and closed out their first clean sheet of the season.

Ipswich tried to respond, roared on at home, but Liverpool’s early cushion allowed them to play with a measure of calm that had been missing in those chaotic opening fixtures. The hosts’ three points from three games leave them 13th, a respectable start but one that underlined the gulf in ruthlessness on the day.

There was a notable moment late on for the visitors as Bradley Barcola came off the bench to make his Liverpool debut, a small glimpse of the depth Iraola can now call on.

By the final whistle, the numbers told a simple story. Liverpool, unbeaten, moved to five points from three matches and up to fifth in the table. A new manager, a first win, a statement from Isak, and a reminder that Gakpo’s future may shape more than just this season.