Andoni Iraola praised the impact of Alexander Isak and the discipline of his Liverpool side after a dominant 2-0 win at Ipswich Town gave the new head coach his first Premier League win and lifted the Reds to fifth in the table. Isak struck twice in the opening nine minutes at Portman Road to put the result beyond doubt before half-time, converting a near-post finish from Cody Gakpos first assist in the sixth minute before showing quick feet to round Kjell Scherpen and roll into an open goal three minutes later.The goals are Isaks second and third of the Premier League season, matching his entire tally from a difficult debut campaign at Anfield plagued by injury under Arne Slot.The win arrived at a critical moment for Iraola, who had drawn his opening two matches and been under growing scrutiny following a chaotic summer. The Basque manager was clearly relieved in his post-match interviews.Definitely to get the first win. We needed that one with the way it has been. We got a clean sheet. Controlling the game quite well I think that we started the game really strong, and then it was another kind of second half. Probably wasnt as good as the first one, he said.Iraola on Isak: My fight with him will be about other stuffIraola was adamant about the quality Isak brings to this Liverpool side, while also revealing that his expectations of the striker extend well beyond the goals.Hes a massive player for us. My demands will probably not be about the goals, I know he is fit and in good shape. Hes going to produce the numbers. My fight with him will be more about other stuff, how to help the team in other situations, but it is good he has already played two full games, scoring the goals, so I am very happy to have him.Today I thought we were much better in our press in the first half, so we were covering very high and we could make contact with him in good positions. If we recover the ball lower, it will be harder to find him, so its all about a community effort to get our number nine in situations that he was in today. Topics Alexander Isak Liverpool F.C. Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool: Report, result and goals as Isak stars at Portman Road Mitch Fretton 4th September, 2026 WATCH: Isak double puts Liverpool into commanding lead at Ipswich Mitch Fretton 4th September, 2026 LIVE Ipswich v Liverpool: Commentary, updates, goals and stats Jon Fisher 4th September, 2026 Ipswich vs Liverpool: Line-ups confirmed for Friday night football Mitch Fretton 4th September, 2026 Ipswich v Liverpool: Preview, predicted line-ups, stats and where to watch Ben Miller 4th September, 2026 Luis Enrique gives verdict on Barcolas move from PSG to Liverpool Nicholas McGee 4th September, 2026
