Cody Gakpo steals the show at Liverpool and immediately puts million-pound signing Bradley Barcola on alert

After a turbulent week of transfer speculation, Cody Gakpo let his football do the talking. The Liverpool forward proved decisive against Ipswich Town, setting up both Alexander Isak goals as the Reds won 0-2 away to the promoted side.

Liverpool started sharply and had the ball in the net almost immediately. Gakpo, who had been linked repeatedly this week with a move away from Liverpool, drilled a pass into the feet of Isak after a dazzling move and he finished with power. Kjell Scherpen got a hand to it but could not keep it out: 0-1.

Soon after, Liverpool struck again. This time Gakpo's assist was even better. The Dutchman used the outside of his foot to send Isak through, putting him straight into a promising position. The Swede beat his man and slid the ball under Scherpen. The goalkeeper was a long way off his line and did not look good.

Within ten minutes, the game was effectively over. Liverpool eased off and mostly looked to punish Ipswich when they gave the ball away in their own half. In doing so, manager Andoni Iraola's side threatened several more times before half-time.

Dominik Szoboszlai twice tried his luck from outside the box and Scherpen saved both efforts. Alexis Mac Allister also had a go from distance but fired just over. Ipswich, by contrast, offered little threat at the other end.

After the break, the match drifted without much happening in front of either goal. Szoboszlai thought he had won a penalty after going down in the box, but an extensive VAR check showed he had been offside in the build-up.

Later on, million-pound signing Bradley Barcola also came on for Liverpool, with Gakpo moving into a slightly more central attacking role. The Frenchman was unable to make an immediate impact. Liverpool did not need one, though, because the win was already secure: 0-2.