TA: Liverpool Were Wise to Keep Gakpo; Araujo's First Start Was Solid but Unspectacular

In the third round of the Premier League, Liverpool secured their first league win of the season at Portman Road Stadium thanks to Isak's two goals within the opening 10 minutes, also marking manager Iraola's first victory in charge of the team. Iraola's side had drawn 2-2 in both of their first two matches, drawing away at Newcastle United and at home against Nottingham Forest, but they showed a desire to win throughout this match. After the game, The Athletic reviewed the performance.

Has Alexander Isak finally opened his Liverpool scoring account?

Isak's start to his Liverpool career has been extremely difficult. Last September, he completed a lengthy transfer from Newcastle United to Anfield, and at the time he needed to catch up with his teammates' rhythm; meanwhile, Liverpool were dealing with the grief and turmoil caused by Diogo Jota's tragic death shortly before pre-season. The £125 million transfer fee placed heavy pressure on the Swedish striker, and he also struggled with a foot bone fracture and muscle injuries throughout the season, scoring only three Premier League goals.

In this match, he scored twice within three minutes after nine minutes of play, matching last season's Premier League goal tally after just over two games of the new campaign. The first goal came from a perfectly timed run, as Liverpool quickly moved the ball after an Ipswich passing mistake. Receiving Cody Gakpo's pass, he fired into the near corner. The goal was somewhat similar to the one he scored for Newcastle against Liverpool at St James' Park in December 2024, although this time he beat goalkeeper Sheppern at the near post.

For the second goal, Isak adjusted his forward runs several times before receiving Gakpo's outside-of-the-foot curling pass. Facing the closing defenders and goalkeeper Sheppern, he stayed calm and finished with his left foot.

Throughout the first half, Isak, Gakpo and Florian Wirtz produced several impressive combinations, forming a triangle on the left and completing quick passing moves. At times he moved wide, allowing the other two teammates to cut inside; shortly after the 30-minute mark, he occupied defenders inside the box to create attacking space, although the goal was ruled out for offside. His pressing in the attacking third was also impressive.

An Isak in this form fits Iraola's tactical style very well, and especially in the early stage of the manager's tenure, his efficient finishing ability will be crucial.

Has Liverpool's decision to keep Gakpo already been proven right?

Football can be full of twists. Not long ago, as Liverpool moved closer to signing Bradley Barcola for £123 million, Gakpo had even begun imagining what it would be like if the club sold him and he moved to Manchester City.

The French newcomer was viewed as an upgrade option over Gakpo, and it appeared that Gakpo's Liverpool career was approaching its end.

Imagine if Liverpool had actually sold him to a rival; we would not have witnessed such a spectacular performance in this match. From the start against Ipswich, he showed great determination and provided two assists within nine minutes, fully proving that keeping him at Anfield was a wise decision.

His second assist, delivered to an in-form Isak, was one of the most entertaining passes of the weekend. Beyond his creativity, he also showed greater work rate without the ball, tracking back actively and contributing defensively.

His physical strength has also clearly improved, as he repeatedly held off opponents and won important set pieces. At one point in the first half, five Ipswich players tried to take the ball from him, but Gakpo maintained his composure and protected possession. A foul by Abdul Fatawu on him should have resulted in a penalty but was overlooked by the referee.

During the match, Sky Sports commentator and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher wrote: "With Gakpo in his current form, new signing Barcola may struggle to get playing time." This proved accurate. It was one of Gakpo's most physically strong and motivated performances in some time, continuing his excellent start to the new season, with four goal involvements already.

Can Ronald Araujo become the solution at right-back?

Last summer, Alexander-Arnold moved to Real Madrid and Andy Robertson's form declined, leaving the full-back positions as a concern for Liverpool. In the first two matches of the season, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez received criticism: opponents targeted them with numerous physical duels and frequent long balls over the top, while their passing in the attacking third was also below expectations.

Kerkez started again in this match, while Iraola replaced Frimpong with Ronald Araujo. The Uruguay international, on a season-long loan from Barcelona, made his first Liverpool start and delivered a solid but unspectacular performance. He offered little going forward, but Ipswich were unable to create danger down his side; he was strong physically, dominant in aerial duels, and kept Daizen Maeda quiet throughout the match.

Araujo also had some unstable moments: one simple clearance was mishit and gave the opponent a corner, and he struggled defensively when dealing with a cross to the far post. However, he also made several key defensive interceptions and helped Liverpool switch to a back-three system in possession. This setup allowed Kerkez to hold his width on the left, while Gakpo linked closely with Wirtz and Isak.

The overall performance deserves praise. Araujo's display suggests that he can continue starting in next week's Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

What did manager Iraola say after the match?

After consecutive 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, Iraola spoke to British broadcasters Sky Sports about the victory:

"This victory was hard-earned, and we really needed a result like this. We kept a clean sheet, and overall our control of the match was good. We started strongly; the rhythm changed in the second half, and we were not as good as in the first half, but we did not allow the opponents to create too many scoring chances."

The Liverpool manager also praised Isak, who scored twice and has already scored three goals in three matches this season.

"He is a crucial player for us. My demands on him are not only about scoring goals; if he is physically fit, the goals will naturally come. I focus more on other areas: how he serves the team and how he handles different situations. It is pleasing that he has already completed two full matches (he was substituted after 64 minutes in this game), received enough playing time and scored goals."

"Our quality of pressing in the attacking phase was much better today. We want him to press high so that we can deliver the ball into areas that suit him. If he drops too deep, it becomes harder to pass to him and the attacking space becomes compressed. This requires the whole team to work together and put our number nine into an attacking environment like the one he had today."