Alexander Isak Scores Twice as Liverpool Secures First Win Under Iraola

IPSWICH, England — Liverpool didn’t ease their way into Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League win. They tore into it.

After back-to-back 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, the new coach arrived at Ipswich needing a statement. He got it inside nine minutes.

Alexander Isak delivered it.

The Sweden striker struck twice early as Liverpool swept aside newly promoted Ipswich 2-0 on Friday night, a sharp, ruthless performance that contrasted sharply with the defensive slips of the opening weeks.

Liverpool were on the front foot from kickoff. The tempo was high, the passing direct, the intent obvious. Ipswich barely had time to settle before Isak pounced.

The opener came in the sixth minute. Cody Gakpo slipped a clever pass into the right side of the box, Isak took it in stride and hammered a fierce drive that crashed off goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen and spun into the net. Power, precision, and a little bit of fortune, all in one swing.

Ipswich were still reeling when Liverpool struck again three minutes later. This time Gakpo provided something altogether different: a moment of craft. Using the outside of his boot, he curled a long, arcing ball over the top and in behind the home defence. Isak timed his run perfectly, killed the pass, shifted feet and drilled his finish home. Two chances. Two goals. Game almost done before the hosts could breathe.

The early blitz gave Liverpool control and, crucially for Iraola, a platform to manage the contest rather than chase it. Ipswich, back in the top flight after promotion last season, tried to respond but rarely found a clear route through a more disciplined Liverpool shape.

The visitors, for their part, could afford to blend the present with a glimpse of the future.

On 63 minutes, Bradley Barcola stepped off the bench for his first appearance in a Liverpool shirt. The highly rated signing, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on Monday in a deal worth 123 million pounds ($166 million), slotted into the attack as Iraola’s side saw out the game with authority rather than anxiety.

Ipswich’s return to the Premier League now reads one win and two defeats, a reminder of the unforgiving nature of the division. For Liverpool, this felt like something else entirely: the first clear sign that Iraola’s ideas can translate into points, not just promise.