Andoni Iraola secured his first Premier League victory as Liverpool manager on Friday night, as goals from Alexander Isak sealed a comfortable 2-0 win away to Ipswich Town at Portman Road. Yet it was Cody Gakpo who once again proved central to the Reds' attacking play, laying on both goals in a display that further underlined his importance to the squad despite recent transfer speculation.
Isak, who arrived at Anfield in a £125m deal from Newcastle last summer, scored twice inside the opening six minutes to hand Liverpool an early cushion. His first came from a precise pass by Gakpo, slotted home from close range after Ipswich goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen failed to keep out what should have been a routine save. Moments later, Gakpo again supplied the assist, this time with a curling outside-of-the-boot pass that sent Isak clear. The Swede showed composure to cut inside and finish with his left foot, doubling his tally for the game and taking his overall Liverpool goal count to six in the Premier League.
The result ended Ipswich's 18-game unbeaten home run in the league and gave Iraola breathing space after a difficult opening to his tenure, which had seen Liverpool concede first in each of their previous two matches. Speaking about Isak's display, Iraola said: "With Alex, if he is fit, if he is available, if he is in good shape, I think he will produce the numbers."
Though Isak took the headlines with his brace, it was Gakpo's creative influence that shaped the contest. The Dutch international, who had scored on the opening weekend against Newcastle and provided an assist against Nottingham Forest last time out, extended his fine start to the campaign despite reports linking him with an £80m move to Manchester City in the closing days of the transfer window. Gakpo ultimately remained at Anfield, and Iraola made clear afterwards that there had been no uncertainty over his value to the squad.
"My relationship with Cody has been very honest from the beginning," Iraola said. "He was always aware of the situation in the market, we were constantly talking." Reflecting on the forward's contribution against Ipswich, the Spanish coach added: "I had no doubt with Cody. He has been very good all the pre-season, has started very well this season, producing numbers. Cody knows how much we value him, I think there is no doubt. I rate him very highly."
Iraola also highlighted the tactical benefit of having a player capable of operating in multiple forward positions, noting that Gakpo shifted to a central striking role for the closing stages after Isak was substituted in the 63rd minute. "Again, after the two assists, he finishes at No. 9 to help us close the game," Iraola said. "I think it's good to have Cody because he can play in the three positions up top, and to have him in this place for this beginning of the season is good."
The Basque manager further praised his side's willingness to play progressively rather than opting for caution in possession, crediting that approach for the space created in behind Ipswich's defense. Liverpool's Bradley Barcola, signed for a club-record fee over the summer, made his debut as a second-half substitute after missing pre-season through international commitments with France, drawing warm applause from the away supporters with some early flashes of pace and skill.
Despite Isak twice threatening a hat-trick — including one effort ruled out for offside — Iraola opted to withdraw the striker before full time, prioritizing squad management over personal milestones. Ipswich, managed by Gary O'Neil, created some second-half opportunities of their own but lacked the composure to trouble Liverpool's defense meaningfully, as the visitors closed out the game with relative ease.
Based on reporting from The Independent and The Standard.