IPSWICH, England, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Two goals inside the opening nine minutes from Alexander Isak earned Liverpool a 2-0 Premier League win at promoted Ipswich Town on Friday and a first victory under new manager Andoni Iraola following a stuttering start to the campaign.
Cody Gakpo, who was the subject of a transfer bid by Manchester City this week, was the creator of both goals as Liverpool were quick out of the blocks and able to comfortably see out the remainder of the match.
The Merseysiders climb to fifth in the table with five points from their three matches, while Ipswich are in 13th place with three points from the same number of games.
There was a debut off the bench for new Liverpool signing Bradley Barcola as the visitors kept a first clean sheet of the campaign following a pair of 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
"It was a good performance," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told SkySports. "We were more direct in the beginning, which is what we wanted. Two great balls from Cody, who was outstanding. A good win and on to the next.
"I said before the transfer window closed that he (Gakpo) is important for us and will be this season. He showed it today again."
It was a workmanlike display in a game where Liverpool never looked ruffled but also showed little in the way of attacking threat themselves in the second half, managing just a single shot on target.
Ipswich will rue their slow start and feel that they contained the visitors well after that, but in truth did not do enough to earn a point.
Liverpool were in front inside six minutes as Gakpo picked up the ball 40 yards from goal and his superb pass picked out Isak, whose shot was too powerful for Ipswich goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen at his near post.
It was 2-0 three minutes later and again Gakpo was the architect. His pass found Isak who twisted and turned, and slipped the ball past an exposed Scherpen, who was in no-man’s land having come out of his goal.
Dominik Szoboszlai twice tested the reflexes of Scherpen from outside the box, while at the other end Ipswich were creating chances and Leif Davis headed over at the back post when he should have hit the target.
Liverpool introduced new 107-million-pound ($144.67-million)signing Bradley Barcola for Victor Munoz after 64 minutes but it was a tame end to the game as neither side were able to find another goal.
($1 = 0.7396 pounds)
(Reporting by Nick Said; editing by Clare Fallon)
