Liverpool made a strong statement with a dominant 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town at Anfield. In a display brimming with quality and confidence, the Reds brushed aside their struggling opponents, cementing their position at the Premier League summit
From the opening whistle, Liverpool’s relentless intensity put Ipswich on the back foot. High pressing, swift passing, and non-stop energy forced the visitors to retreat into a defensive shell. Ipswich’s woes deepened early when winger Wes Burns suffered a severe knee injury while challenging Cody Gakpo. Burns was stretchered off, disrupting Ipswich’s already shaky setup as they fought to stay in the game.
Liverpool wasted no time capitalizing on Ipswich’s misfortune. Dominik Szoboszlai gave the home side the lead with a powerful strike, sparking the Anfield crowd into celebration. Moments later, Mohamed Salah doubled the advantage with a well-taken finish. Gakpo provided the assist, delivering a precise cross that allowed Salah to notch his 100th Premier League goal at Anfield, marking a milestone few players reach at a single stadium.
Gakpo, who had already been involved in creating chances, found himself on the scoresheet just before halftime. A sharp pass from Ryan Gravenberch put Szoboszlai through on goal, but his attempt was saved by Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton. Gakpo reacted quickly, pouncing on the rebound to make it 3-0. His contribution, alongside the creativity of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Díaz, exemplified Liverpool’s fluid attacking style.
The second half saw Liverpool continue to control the game. Ipswich briefly attempted to push forward, but Liverpool’s defensive shape and discipline ensured they could not break through. Alexander-Arnold, playing in a more central role, almost added to the scoreline, hitting the post with a curling effort from distance. It wasn’t long before Gakpo completed his brace, heading in a perfectly delivered cross from Alexander-Arnold to make it 4-0.
With the match effectively decided, manager Arne Slot made a series of substitutions to manage the workload of his key players. Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, and Gakpo were replaced by Harvey Elliott, Wataru Endo, and Darwin Núñez, but the fresh faces did little to slow Liverpool’s momentum. The Reds continued to dominate, probing Ipswich’s defense and maintaining control of the ball.
Ipswich did manage to grab a late consolation goal when Jacob Greaves scored from a corner by Julio Enciso. However, the goal did little to diminish the celebration at Anfield. A controversial moment followed when Enciso caught Endo with a knee to the face in an aerial challenge, prompting calls for a red card. Fortunately, Endo was unhurt and was able to finish the game.
