Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak Lead Liverpool to Victory
Cody Gakpo walked off into the Suffolk night with the scoreboard saying 2-0 and the transfer noise around him suddenly a lot quieter.
On a tense evening that Andoni Iraola badly needed to tilt his way, it was the Dutchman who dictated everything Liverpool did well. The forward, trailed all summer by speculation about a move away from Anfield, played like a man intent on closing that conversation down himself.
Two goals for Alexander Isak. Two assists for Gakpo. One statement win.
Gakpo the creator, Isak the finisher
From the first whistle, Gakpo operated like the side’s metronome in the final third, drifting into pockets, turning quickly, dragging defenders into places they didn’t want to go. The end product was ruthless.
Isak, in the form of his life, needed only nine minutes to turn Gakpo’s service into a match-winning brace. The Sweden international has already matched his entire Premier League tally from last season in just three appearances this term, and this felt like the night his resurgence acquired a headline.
Both strikes were classic penalty-box finishes, the sort that separate hot streaks from genuine goalscoring pedigree. Gakpo found him twice, Isak did the rest. Nine minutes of chaos, and suddenly Liverpool had a forward hitting numbers not seen at the club for over a decade.
The double saw Isak match a feat last achieved by Maxi Rodriguez, underlining just how rare this kind of early-season explosion has been at Anfield.
A partnership catching fire
Gakpo, speaking afterwards, sounded like a player enjoying the chemistry as much as the points.
“Yeah, we will see. We always train together, and always try to get to know each other better. Hopefully we can assist each other many times. He owes me a few assists now!”
The grin matched the performance. This was not just a good outing; it was a reminder of his value to Iraola’s system. Vision, timing, selflessness in the final third – all of it knitted Liverpool’s attacks together.
Reflecting on the wider display, he told Sky Sports: “I think it was a great game today. Obviously some things we have to improve still but a much-needed win for us, and I'm really glad that we got the three points.”
Iraola off the mark
For Iraola, this was more than a tidy away win. It was a small but important line in the club’s managerial history.
Two 2-2 draws had opened his Premier League tenure and raised familiar doubts about Liverpool’s ability to close games out. Those concerns eased with a professional, controlled performance here, the kind of display that keeps a restless fanbase calm and a dressing room fully on board.
The result ensured Iraola avoided an unwanted comparison with Brendan Rodgers, who was the last Liverpool manager to go winless in his first three league matches. That narrative died in Suffolk, replaced by something more promising: a new coach with his first three points and a frontline starting to hum.
Van Dijk’s verdict
Captain Virgil van Dijk, who has seen enough Liverpool iterations to know when something is building, pointed straight to the tactical shift and Gakpo’s influence.
“I think we were a little bit more direct in the beginning, which is what we wanted to put the danger in their half and create a bit of chaos. Great goals. Cody was outstanding. Great win, and on to the next.”
He did not dodge the transfer question either. For all the talk of incomings and outgoings, Van Dijk was clear about one thing: Gakpo needs to stay.
“Massive. I said it before the transfer window had closed, he's important for us, and he will be important this season.”
On this evidence, that sounds less like a plea and more like a simple statement of fact. If this is what Gakpo and Isak can produce in early September, the real question is how far this partnership can drag Liverpool by the time the season reaches its sharp end.
