Liverpool won thanks to Isak's quick double
England Striker Alexander Isak scored two goals in three minutes to help Liverpool defeat Ipswich 2-0 in round three of the Premier League, thereby bringing coach Andoni Iraola his first victory.
Liverpool's leadership, especially former sports director Richard Hughes, was criticized for ineffective team building. However, Isak - the most expensive signing under Hughes - is finally starting to show his worth. After scoring in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in the second round, Isak continued to score twice in just the first 10 minutes of the match, helping Liverpool soon decide the game at Portman Road on September 4.
Minute 6, from Milos Kerkez's cut, Cody Gakpo dribbled into the middle and poked the ball so Isak escaped to the right side of the penalty area. The Swedish striker fired a powerful shot from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen got his hands on the ball but could not prevent the goal.
Just three minutes later, Liverpool doubled the gap from a similar attack. Gakpo improvised a pass to Isak to break the offside trap, this time on the left side of the penalty area. The 26-year-old striker made two fake moves, eliminated the home midfielder and then shot with his left foot into the net, completing the double.
This is the first time Isak has scored a double for Liverpool in the Premier League, and also increased his record to three goals through three matches this season - equal to the number of goals he scored in the whole of last season. Isak also became the earliest Liverpool player to score a double in the Premier League (9 minutes), since Maxi Rodriguez scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the match against Fulham in May 2011.
Isak even put the ball into the net for the third time in the first half but it was not recognized for offside. The 26-year-old striker continuously made the runs that made him famous and caused Liverpool to spend a record amount of 175.5 million USD to recruit him from Newcastle. This performance is also a far cry from Isak's lackluster image in the first season, when he had to miss five months.
Like the 2-5 loss to Man Utd, Ipswich conceded two consecutive goals in a short period of time. The home players lost their composure and became vulnerable to Liverpool's ball movement speed.
Victor Munoz had a long acceleration and was only stopped by a tackle by Issa Diop as the last player. After that, Julio Enciso controlled the ball and stopped, as if asking his teammates to calm down. Florian Wirtz also began to make an impression with his technical plays, providing another positive signal that the large amount of money Liverpool invested last summer may not have been a waste as it was shown under Arne Slot.
After the break, with coach Gary O'Neil's constant urging from the sidelines, Ipswich played more aggressively. The home team contested strongly, ready to collide instead of continuing to accept Liverpool's technical superiority.
Coach Andoni Iraola therefore made two changes in a row. Ryan Gravenberch replaced Isak to increase control of the midfield area, while rookie worth $167 million Bradley Barcola replaced Victor Munoz.
Gakpo was pushed to play center forward, while Barcola played the left wing in his Liverpool debut. Right in the first touches of the ball, the French striker excited Liverpool fans with a shoulder reversal that eliminated Dara O'Shea. Barcola then repeatedly showed his impressive acceleration ability, including dribbling from the left wing and creating a chance for Gakpo.
In the 68th minute, Liverpool seemed to have found a third goal. Leif Davis pulled Dominik Szoboszlai and then used his foot to make the Liverpool midfielder fall in the penalty area, seemingly leading to a penalty kick. However, VAR determined that Szoboszlai was offside earlier, helping the Ipswich defender avoid a penalty.
This announcement even created the loudest cheers of the home fans in the match, because Ipswich had almost no reason to be happy other than the last minutes, when they tried to push their team up in search of a goal.
Liverpool won for the first time under Iraola, while Barcola had a promising debut. But the biggest positive signal is still the revival of Isak - a striker who once faced many doubts but is starting to prove why Liverpool placed faith and a record amount of money in him.
