Full Time
Liverpool got the perfect start at Portman Road, with Alexander Isak scoring twice inside the first ten minutes (6th and 9th) to make it 2-0 before Ipswich fans had even settled into their seats. Ipswich never got a foothold and Liverpool comfortably saw out the rest of the game without needing to get out of second gear. It's Liverpool's first win of the season after two opening draws, and it lifts them up to 7th on 5 points. Ipswich are still waiting for their first point of the campaign, prop up the table after three straight defeats, and have now shipped nine goals in three games.
Pre-match Talking Points
Match talking points will appear here before kick-off.
Team Talking Points
-
1Ipswich lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, so they go into the break 14th and without a league win in five games. Bournemouth are flying, with eight straight wins, so it's not exactly a shameful defeat. Still, a five-game winless run is the kind of stat Ipswich fans are counting.
-
2The opener came after just five minutes, when Evanilson dispossessed keeper Christian Walton and finished with a no-look effort. It made him the first Bournemouth player ever to score in five Premier League games in a row. Unfortunately for Ipswich, they became a footnote in someone else's record.
-
3The second goal was cruel. Ryan Christie's shot deflected in off Leif Davis for an own goal. Jack Clarke pulled one back from the penalty spot, but Ipswich couldn't find an equaliser.
-
4Gary O'Neil is the man in charge now, after spells at Bournemouth and Wolves. Under him Ipswich have a stubborn streak: they have the best record in the league for winning back points from losing positions. Mention that and you'll sound like you've done your homework.
-
5Before Bournemouth came a 2-2 draw at fellow promoted side Hull, a properly chaotic end-to-end game. Ipswich are safely clear of the bottom three for now. The aim this time is to avoid going straight back down, which is what happened after their last Premier League visit in 2024-25.
🍺
Top thing to say down the pub
Ipswich never know when they're beaten, which is great, but they could do with not going behind quite so often.
🚫
Avoid saying
"Ipswich are just here for one season again" — they've heard it every week since promotion, they're sitting comfortably mid-table, and they'd quite like you to look at the actual league table.
-
1Liverpool won 3-1 at bottom side Crystal Palace on Sunday and climbed back into the top four. Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak scored. Coming after a sticky run, it was the result Andoni Iraola needed going into the break.
-
2Wirtz's goal was his first in the league this season. For a player who cost a small fortune, that's been a running joke among rival fans. Liverpool supporters will insist his all-round play was always more important than goals, and they're partly right.
-
3The international break hasn't been kind. Virgil van Dijk played the full 90 at Selhurst Park, then pulled out of the Netherlands squad, reportedly after playing through a minor problem for weeks. Dominik Szoboszlai picked up a knee sprain in the same game and is a doubt for Hungary. Neither is a disaster yet, but both are worth watching.
-
4Alisson was named man of the match at Palace with several big saves, and he was unlucky to concede a stoppage-time penalty. That's a reminder that Liverpool's win was less comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
-
5The fixtures coming up are huge. Manchester United visit Anfield on 22 November, and over the next few weeks a Merseyside derby against a high-flying Everton and a game against Chelsea follow. A month from now we'll know whether Iraola's Liverpool are genuine contenders or just good at beating teams at the bottom.
🍺
Top thing to say down the pub
Wirtz finally scored in the league, so now everyone can stop asking. The real test is United, the derby and Chelsea in the next few weeks.
🚫
Avoid saying
"Liverpool are nothing without Klopp" — he's been gone since 2024, they've won the league since, and it suggests your football knowledge stopped updating several seasons ago.