Liverpool hit newly promoted Ipswich Town a 2-0 defeat at Portman Road Stadium through goals from Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota.
The two sides went into the half-time break deadlocked, and Ipswich Town marked their return to the Premier League for 22 years with a stern first-half performance.
The Tractor Boys were able to press Liverpool high and cut off their passing lanes in the first 45 minutes. Arne Slot's men broke down the pressure from the hosts with crisp passing throughout the second half and broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through Jota.
Salah added a second goal in the 65th minute to give Liverpool a considerable advantage and eventually sealed three points.
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Ipswich Town
He produced a few important saves throughout the match. His distribution was not the best throughout some periods of the match but made up for it with his positioning and shot stopping.
Axel Tuanzebe - 6
The former Manchester United academy graduate completed 92% of his passes. He had three tackles and an interception. Luis Diaz, the Liverpool winger, still looked quite sharp against him. He was brought off in the 74th minute for a more attacking approach to chase the game.
Luke Woolfenden - 7
Woolfenden put in a comprehensive performance throughout the match. His solid defending was pivotal, especially in the first half. He had eight clearances, three interceptions, and two blocked shots. He contributed heavily to the buildup out of the back.
Jacob Greaves - 8
The new signing looked to be the best player on the pitch this afternoon and handled himself with composure. He was constantly breaking up play at the back and even a little forward closer midfield. He won the majority of his ground and aerial duels. Ipswich fans are most likely pretty excited to see Greaves for the rest of the season.
Leif Davis - 6
He had a decent game and contributed to getting forward from the left-back position. He was left absolutely lost in the buildup for Liverpool's first goal. Salah made a run from out to in which left him at a standstill.
Sam Morsy - 7
He made an influential impact on the match alongside his midfield partner, Massimo Luongo. The pair’s pressing in the first half was pivotal to stifling Liverpool. He had five tackles and won 8 of his 11 duels. Morsy was active throughout the heart of midfield, especially on the edge of his box.
He defended well and produced a good performance.
Massimo Luongo - 7
Luongo completed almost all of his passes and was steady in midfield. He won 4 out of 5 duels throughout the match and provided stability alongside Morsy. If Ipswich continue to play with a 4-2-3-1 this could be a stable midfield pairing to rely on in the centre of the pitch.
Wes Burns - 6
He had a few moments throughout the match where he threatened the Liverpool defence but did not produce anything special besides some passages of play. He had 22 touches throughout the match and lost possession nine times.
He looked threatening, but often sharpness eluded him. In his 57-minute cameo, there was a lot of time where he wasn’t heavily involved in the match.
Conor Chaplin - 6
Chaplin was involved in the play throughout multiple areas of the pitch. He was not a constant source of creativity but was largely involved in some of the link-ups around the pitch. There were multiple positives to take away from the match for Chaplin.
Omari Hutchinson - 7
Hutchinson showed courage in the final third and completed three out of the four dribbles he attempted. He provided a threat to Liverpool in many moments. He could’ve been sharper in his actions.
Liam Delap - 6
He looked somewhat isolated by himself up top but still continued to link up play with his teammates. Delap had one moment of serious quality with a brilliant turn down the wing that led to a clear goalscoring opportunity. Ipswich Town supporters will be excited to see more of the forward throughout this season.
Ben Johnson (57’) - 6
He came onto the pitch for over 30 minutes and provided intensity to the team. Johnson completed four tackles and defended quite well. He worked hard for his team once he came onto the pitch.
Jack Taylor (65’) - 6
Taylor was quite tidy in midfield and completed 15 out of the 19 passes he attempted. He gave the team a nice boost after Luongo had physically exerted himself after 65 minutes.
Marcus Harness (65’) - 6
He came onto the pitch and tried to create. There was nothing much of substance that turned into something special. He linked with his teammates well.
Sammie Szmodics (74’) - 6
He only came onto the pitch for a little bit but produced some good moments. He had a key pass in the build-up and looked somewhat threatening for the short time he was on the pitch.
Ali Al-Hamadi (74’) - 6
He came on and worked extremely hard for the team. He didn’t produce anything noteworthy in an attacking sense but put in a shift defensively for the time he came on.
