5 talking points as Jota and Salah turn up heat to take Liverpool past Ipswich (original) (raw)
IPSWICH 0-2 LIVERPOOL: Second half goals from Diogo Jota and Mo Salah gave Liverpool victory over their newly-promoted hosts, who had started the game well
Diogo Jota and Mo Salah got Liverpool's goals at Portman Road
They took their time, but Liverpool got there eventually.
After a poor first half display which saw them fail to register a shot on target against an impressive, committed Ipswich side, the Reds scored twice in five minutes in the second period to start the Arne Slot era with a 2-0 win at Portman Road.
Diogo Jota fired home the opener on the hour mark after Mo Salah had been brilliantly found by Trent Alexander-Arnold, before Salah bundled through to double the lead five minutes later.
Newly promoted Ipswich, in their first top-flight game for 22 years, did well in the first half and tested Alisson through Jacob Greaves and Omari Hutchinson.
But ultimately the Reds upped the tempo in the second period to win it, with Luis Diaz, Jota and Salah all having further chances to extend the winning margin. Here are the game's main talking points.
1. Rusty Andy Robertson causes Liverpool problems
Arne Slot was seen having words with Andy Robertson early in the game (
Image:
PA)
The team Slot picked in last weekend's 4-1 friendly win over Sevilla ended up being something of a marker from the new manager, with Andy Robertson for Kostas Tsimikas the only change. The Scot had a somewhat stunted pre-season, and it showed here.
Robertson looked rusty in the opening exchanges, both going forward and in his defensive duties, and the lethargy in his play seemed to spread to his team-mates throughout the opening 45 minutes as Ipswich swarmed all over them at times.
2. Welcome to Ipswich
Ipswich pressed and harried Liverpool throughout the first half (
Image:
Getty Images)
None of that is to take anything away from Ipswich though, with the newly promoted side able to ride the wave of emotion and positivity around Portman Road to put in an energetic, impressive first-half performance which restricted Liverpool to very few chances and no shots on target.
Kieran McKenna's side were always going to be brave and committed, and this was always going to be this sort of an occasion as a 22-year wait for top-flight football came to an end, but the Tractor Boys were committed and confident as they imposed their gameplan on Liverpool, with Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo snapping into tackles and Jacob Greaves impressive at the back.
Against plenty of other sides they would have done enough to score a goal in the first half, but they showed that Portman Road will be a difficult place to go this season.
3. The pressing question and the unconvincing answer
Ryan Gravenberch started in the centre of midfield for Liverpool (
Image:
Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
One of the reasons for Liverpool's lacklustre performance in the first half was the failure to impose themselves in midfield, where Ryan Gravenberch was starting deeper, Alexis Mac Allister a little higher and then Dominik Szoboszlai higher again.
None of them had particularly good games in the first half, and with that the case then the limelight was always going to be shone on Gravenberch, who was surrounded and often overrun in the deepest position, with Liverpool's pressers so often becoming the pressed.
All three would sort themselves out by the second half and become the basis upon which Liverpool won the game, but the issues in the opening period could have been exploited.
4. Trent takes over
Trent Alexander-Arnold was superb in the second half as Liverpool stepped it up (
Image:
Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The key to that midfield revival though? The right-back.
Alexander-Arnold suddenly turned it on as Liverpool stepped it up in the second half to eventually overwhelm Ipswich and create chances at will. He was heavily involved in great chances for Diaz and Jota before the latter's goal, which came about after a superb pass from the No.66 to Salah.
It was just another reminder of the outstanding quality of Liverpool's vice-captain , and while there continues to be the noise around potential incomings to Liverpool this summer, their most important business remains his new contract.
5. Another record for Mo Salah
Mo Salah now has nice opening day goals (
Image:
PA)
So many pre-season articles and predictions seemed to focus elsewhere, but you write Salah off at your peril. That's now a Premier League record nine opening day goals for the Egyptian, who could have had more here and also got an assist.
Like Alexander-Arnold he is of course into the final year of his contract, but talk of Salah's decline has been greatly exaggerated, and he will again be his side's leading man on what looks like it's going to be another exciting season with a new man at the helm.
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