Salah, Jota fire Liverpool to winning start at Ipswich
Liverpool kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 victory against newly-promoted Ipswich Town, thanks to two quickfire goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah in the second half.
The match marked Arne Slot’s debut as Liverpool’s manager, and while the first half was sluggish, a revitalized performance after the break ensured the Reds started the season on a winning note.
The atmosphere at Portman Road was electric, with Ipswich fans celebrating their club’s return to the Premier League after 22 years, riding high on back-to-back promotions.
Among the crowd was celebrity fan and minority owner, Ed Sheeran, who had to leave at halftime for a gig in Serbia, but not before witnessing Ipswich hold their own against the illustrious Liverpool side.
Ipswich started brightly, with Omari Hutchinson having a shot blocked within the first two minutes.
The home side continued to press, and Jacob Greaves had the best chance of the first half, heading too close to Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Despite their promising start, Ipswich couldn’t find the breakthrough.
Liverpool, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm in the first half. Slot, the only new face at Anfield this season as Liverpool have yet to make a signing in the transfer window, would have been concerned by his team’s lackluster performance.
However, his halftime team talk seemed to do the trick as the Reds came out for the second half looking like a different side.
Liverpool’s pressure began to mount, and they could have taken the lead earlier in the second half.
Luis Diaz missed a glorious chance, scooping over the bar from close range after excellent work from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai. Jota also had a header go wide with the goal at his mercy.
The breakthrough finally came on the hour mark. Alexander-Arnold, who was instrumental in Liverpool’s attacking play, delivered another defence-splitting pass. Salah, showing his usual unselfishness, squared the ball to Jota, who made no mistake this time, firing Liverpool into the lead.
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Just five minutes later, Liverpool doubled their advantage. Salah, always dangerous on the opening weekend of the season, combined with Szoboszlai before pouncing to score his ninth opening day goal for Liverpool, cementing the win.
Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton did well to keep the scoreline respectable, making several key saves, notably from Salah and Conor Bradley, in the closing stages. Despite the loss, Ipswich can take pride in their performance, having been unbeaten at home in the league for nearly 12 months before this encounter.
Kieran McKenna’s side was given a harsh lesson in the quality gap between the Championship and Premier League, but their spirited display suggests they won’t be easy opponents this season. However, the road ahead doesn’t get any easier for Ipswich, as they face defending champions Manchester City next weekend.
For Liverpool, the win offers a solid foundation for Slot to build upon as they navigate a favourable run of fixtures. With matches against Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, and Crystal Palace coming up before the October international break, Liverpool has the opportunity to establish themselves early in the title race.
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