Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool: Isak Fires Reds to a Much-Needed Controlled Win

I came away from Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Ipswich feeling much more positive, not just because of the result, but because for once an easier away game on paper actually felt like an easier away game.
That might sound obvious, but Liverpool have made these sort of fixtures far harder than they need to be at times in recent seasons.

The biggest difference was the start.

Alexander Isak scored twice inside the opening nine minutes, both goals assisted by Cody Gakpo, and from that point Liverpool were able to dictate the game rather than chase it.
I think the importance of early goals in these fixtures cannot be understated.
When you go away to a newly promoted side, the longer it stays 0-0 the more belief they get. The crowd gets louder, every tackle becomes a moment, and suddenly a game you should be controlling becomes uncomfortable.

Liverpool killed that almost immediately.

What I liked even more was what happened afterwards.
There was much less of the feeling that Liverpool had to attack every single moment. At 2-0, they were more sensible with the ball, took fewer unnecessary risks and were happy to slow the game down.
It was not spectacular for 90 minutes, but it did not need to be. That is the sort of game management I have wanted to see.

After the Newcastle and Forest draws, where Liverpool looked far too open and chaotic in transition, there was far more control here. Ipswich did have better spells later in the game, but Liverpool defended more as a unit and never really allowed the match to descend into chaos. We managed only one shot on target in the second half, which in this case almost sums up the approach - the game had already been won and there was no need to force it.

Isak Starting to Show His Importance

Isak is now really starting to step up. Three goals in his last three games is exactly the sort of run Liverpool needed from him, and I think the biggest change is that he is finally getting more service.
Against Newcastle and even Forest at times, I felt he was far too isolated. He was making runs without receiving the ball and having to drop deep just to get involved.
At Ipswich, Liverpool found him early and the result was obvious.
His two finishes were different as well. The first was powerful at the near post, for the second he showed composure and tidy footwork.
That is why Liverpool paid the money for him. He does not need ten chances to score. He just needs the team around him to create the right situations.
And I am VERY excited to see what he looks like alongside Barcola once that relationship develops properly.
Barcola gives Liverpool another player who wants to run directly in behind, stretch defences and create space centrally. That should only help Isak, Wirtz and the rest of the attack.

There is a lot of potential there.

Gakpo Has Been Vital
Gakpo deserves huge credit as well.
He has arguably been Liverpool’s best attacker at the start of this season and once again he was involved in everything good.
Both Isak goals came from Gakpo assists, meaning he has now assisted all three of Isak’s league goals this season.
More than the numbers though, he just looks hungry.
There seems to be a determination to prove how important he is to this team, and so far he is doing exactly that.
He has been criticised at times for being inconsistent or drifting through games, and being too predictable - but there has been very little of that so far this season. He looks stronger, more decisive and much more comfortable taking responsibility in the attack.

Whatever happens with the shape of Liverpool’s front line, Gakpo is making himself extremely difficult to leave out.

Van Dijk Is Still Ridiculous
Van Dijk was unbelievable again. He is 35 now, which makes the level he is still playing at even more impressive. FotMob gave him a 7.8 rating against Ipswich, his highest league rating of the season so far.
What stands out to me is how little his game seems to have declined physically. He still covers space incredibly well, he still dominates aerially and he still has that ability to make difficult defensive situations look routine. He consistently wins 90 even 100% of his areal duels in double figures games each season, which is unheard of for a centre back.
And Liverpool do not exactly make life easy for their centre-backs.
This is still a system that can leave them exposed, particularly when the midfield is bypassed or the full-backs are caught too high. That makes Van Dijk’s consistency even more impressive.
In my opinion he still looks like the best centre-back in the league. At 35, that is ridiculous. The fact he is still being asked to defend big spaces at this stage of his career and continues to do it at this level says everything about him.

Araujo Gives Liverpool Another Option
I also thought Araujo was impressive at right-back. It was his first Liverpool start, replacing Frimpong, and he gave the side something different immediately.
He is obviously not going to offer the same attacking explosiveness as Frimpong, but Liverpool looked more secure with him there.That balance matters.
At the moment the right-hand side is probably the biggest tactical headache in the team. Frimpong has really struggled so far, particularly defensively, crossing and ball retention. And Liverpool still do not have a natural established right winger.
So what does Iraola do?
Does he continue with Frimpong and trust that he plays his way into form? Does Araujo become the more defensive option in difficult games? Does Szoboszlai eventually invert from right-back again? And who actually owns that right-wing position long term? There are still a lot of questions there.
But Araujo at least showed Liverpool have another solution.
Positive Signs
This game felt like progress.
Not because Ipswich are the hardest opponent Liverpool will face - they obviously are not - but because Liverpool treated the game like they were the stronger team.
They scored early.
They controlled the risk.
They defended more collectively.
And when they went 2-0 up, they did not spend the next 80 minutes trying to turn the game into basketball.
That is important.
There will be much harder tests ahead, starting very quickly with Atlético Madrid, but this was the first league performance of the season where Liverpool looked genuinely comfortable for long periods.
There are still issues to solve.
The right-hand side remains uncertain. Frimpong needs to improve. Liverpool could still protect their centre-backs better from midfield, and relationships between the new attacking players will take time.
But this felt much more like the sort of performance Liverpool can build from.
Isak is scoring.
Gakpo is flying.
Van Dijk still looks ridiculous.
Barcola is now in the team.
And for the first time this season, Liverpool looked like they understood when to attack and when to simply control a football match.
That is a very encouraging sign.