Isak shines at last but Scherpen suffers - Ipswich v Liverpool player ratings
September 4, 2026 20:54
Liverpool secured their first Premier League victory of the season at Portman Road, a result that also represented the opening league win for new manager Andoni Iraola. Alexander Isak scored twice early in the match to put Liverpool on the front foot, with both opening goals created by Cody Gakpo.
Ipswich goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen was judged to have misread the first corner and was marked down for that error. Gakpo was singled out for an outstanding creative display, while Isak received high praise for his finishing.
KEY CONTEXT
- The player assessments and ratings are those of the BBC chief football writer at the game.
- Andoni Iraola is identified in the report as Liverpool’s newly appointed manager; this was his first Premier League win.
- Several Liverpool players received positive marks for defensive and attacking contributions (notably Ronald Araujo and Virgil van Dijk), while Ipswich individuals such as Julio Enciso were noted as influencing the game despite the loss.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Isak’s brace and composed finishing were presented by the writer as evidence of the striker demonstrating the quality Liverpool paid for, addressing earlier criticism of his displays.
- Gakpo’s two decisive passes were described as pivotal creative moments and earned him the match’s highest rating from the reporter.
- Ipswich’s defensive difficulties early on — and a costly goalkeeping misjudgement — were identified as key reasons the hosts fell behind and could not recover.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- The report highlights several points to monitor: whether Ipswich can shore up defending against quick attackers like Isak and Gakpo; goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen’s response after the early error; and how Liverpool deploy players such as Dominik Szoboszlai, with the writer explicitly advising against using him at right-back.
- Individual players flagged for improvement or potential impact included Ipswich’s Julio Enciso (final delivery) and Victor Munoz (end product), and Liverpool’s new signing Bradley Barcola, whose pace was noted in a substitute appearance.
KEY FACTS
- Alexander Isak scored two early goals for Liverpool.
- The result was Liverpool’s first Premier League win of the season and the first league win under Andoni Iraola.
- Cody Gakpo provided the two passes for Isak’s opening goals and received the highest rating in the match report.
- Ipswich keeper Kjell Scherpen was criticized for misjudging the first goal and given a low rating by the writer.
- Ronald Araujo and Virgil van Dijk were both rated highly for defensive contributions.