Isak’s rapid double sinks Ipswich to give Andoni Iraola first Liverpool win

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A first win for Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool, the introduction of the latest star signing in Bradley Barcola making for a successful Friday night. Better yet, continuing signs that Alexander Isak, last year’s model, is coming back to life, his two, well-taken early goals securing the three points.If Ipswich’s defending was less than watertight, Liverpool’s attackers were full of the speed and invention they sorely lacked for much of last season.Once Barcola arrived in the second half, those velocity levels increased yet higher, Liverpool playing the attacking football, high on risk and entertainment, that the appointment of Iraola promised.Travelling Liverpool fans were made to wait for their first glimpse of £123m Barcola, his being benched adding further suspense to a deal that took an entire summer to complete.

Assisted for both by barrelling surges from Cody Gakpo, who might have been at Manchester City or Tottenham had the runes been right, the finishes were of the gold standard Liverpool invested so heavily in.Just as at Old Trafford, two Ipswich goals were conceded in quick, damaging succession, heads lost, Gary O’Neil’s team far too vulnerable to their opponent’s speed of movement. After Victor Muñoz set off a long run stopped only by Issa Diop’s last-man tackle, Julio Enciso controlled the ball, standing on it, as if calling for calm from his colleagues.Isak, who had a third first-half goal disallowed for offside, was making the runs that made his reputation, looking nothing like the sorry figure he cut in his debut, lost season before injury ruled him out for five months.

Enciso, at least, remained purposeful, and Leif Davis’s header over from Abdul Fatawu’s cross suggested chance creation was not fully beyond Ipswich.Bradley Barcola beats Dara O'Shea on his Liverpool debut. Iraola’s appointment came with a reputation for improving players, and should the Basque get the best from a player in a similar price bracket to Barcola and Isak, then his pronouncement he is happy with his squad will ring truer than it sounded this week.Liverpool’s second half began with another Gakpo surge and a free Alexis Mac Allister header, as Ipswich looked to build of what had been an improved end of the first 45.