Liverpool finally have their first Premier League victory of the season
Liverpool secured their first Premier League victory of the season on Friday evening, beating Ipswich Town 2-0 at Portman Road.
Alexander Isak was the decisive figure, scoring twice during the opening stages of the match. The result also gave Andoni Iraola his first league win as Liverpool head coach after his side had drawn their opening two fixtures against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Isak makes early impact
Liverpool needed only a few minutes to establish control of the match.
Isak found the net twice in quick succession, with both goals assisted by Cody Gakpo. The early advantage allowed the Reds to approach the remainder of the game with greater control.
The striker's finishing that came within three minutes of each other was one of the clearest positives from the performance, particularly after missing majority of the previous campaign.
Isak now has 3 goals from all 3 games in the Premier League so far.
The Reds managed the game
Yes! It was not a performance that required the Reds to dominate every phase of the game. Instead, their early advantage provided the platform to manage the match and leave Suffolk with three points.
After the early goals, the tempo of the match reduced considerably.
Ipswich improved as the first half progressed, but the Reds remained sufficiently organised to protect their advantage. They eventually completed the match without conceding, securing their first clean sheet of the league campaign.
Barcola makes his debut
One of the other notable developments was Bradley Barcola's Liverpool debut.
The summer signing was introduced during the second half, giving Iraola an opportunity to begin integrating him into the team.
Barcola's appearance will be particularly relevant in the coming weeks when Iraola assesses his attacking options to determine how best he will use the Frenchman.
An important result for Iraola
The victory gives Iraola his first Premier League win since taking charge of Liverpool.
There is still a long way to go in the season, and one result should not be used to make broad conclusions about the new manager's tenure. Nevertheless, the clean sheet, three points and Isak's contribution provide a promising outcome from Liverpool's trip to Ipswich.
The focus will now be on whether the Reds can build greater consistency from this result.
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