Friday night football under the lights at Portman Road is never easy, but for Liverpool and new manager Andoni Iraola, it was exactly what the fans ordered and that was the first win of the 2026/27 season .
The start of the season had been bumpy. Two frustrating 2-2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest left the Reds chasing games and scrambling to find their rhythm. But this trip to Ipswich Town changed the mood entirely, thanks to a 2-0 victory built on a brilliant early burst of goals from Alexander Isak, both set up by Cody Gakpo.
The Manchester City transfer scare
Getting to this point wasn't simple. Just days before the transfer window shut on Septemeber 1st Gakpo’s future at Anfield was hanging by a thread. With Manchester City hunting for a new winger after losing a few players, Enzo Maresca side made a serious late push to sign the Dutch forward in an £85 million deal.
A deadline-day switch to the Etihad looked genuinely possible. However, when Liverpool couldn't find a replacement in the market and ultimately pulled the plug and told Gakpo he was staying put.
Rather than throwing a tantrum, Gakpo had a straightforward chat with Iraola, put his head down, and let his football do the talking. Iraola praised how the player handled the noise during his pre match pre conference on Thursday:
"My relationship with Cody has been very honest from the beginning. He has played very well for us so far. He was always aware of the situation in the market, we were constantly talking, I hope we can keep him at the same level. He is in a good place physically and mentally and I'm very happy to pick him."
A lightning start and a growing partnership with Isak
If Iraola wanted a fast start to cure the team's early-season defensive wobbles, Gakpo and Isak delivered it within the first ten minutes.
Just six minutes in, Gakpo drove down the right flank and slipped a clever pass to Isak, who smashed a powerful shot past the Ipswich goalkeeper to make it 1-0.
Three minutes later, they did it again. Gakpo uncorked a stunning outside-of-the-boot pass to send Isak clean through, and the Swedish striker rounded the goalkeeper to roll home his second.
That dynamic duo connection is quickly becoming Liverpool's go-to weapon. Gakpo has now remarkably assisted all three of Isak's goals so far this season, including setting up the Swede during the 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
The Dutchman spoke to Sky Sports after the match about the win and his growing partnership with the striker:
"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."
When asked about building that chemistry with Isak, he added with a smile:
"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!"
Managing the rest of the game
With a two-goal cushion so early on, Liverpool didn't need to chase shadows. They slowed the game down, defended well, and kept Ipswich at arm's length for most of the night.
Even better, the comfortable lead allowed Iraola to bring club-record £123m signing Bradley Barcola off the bench in the second half for his very first minutes in English football.
The chaotic transfer window is finally over, the squad is settling down, and with three points safely in the bag, the Iraola era at Liverpool is officially up and running.
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