Cody Gakpo Shines in Liverpool's 2-0 Victory
Cody Gakpo did not just answer the transfer rumours on Friday night. He silenced them.
In a cool, controlled 2-0 win in Suffolk, the Dutch forward ran the game for Liverpool, stitching attacks together and turning a potentially awkward evening into Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League victory in charge of the club. For a player whose future had been heavily debated all summer, this was a performance with a simple message: he is central to this project.
Gakpo the creator, Isak the finisher
Gakpo dictated the tempo and, when it mattered, he decided the contest. His movement between the lines dragged defenders around; his passing carved them open. The numbers told the story as clearly as the eye test: two goals for Isak, two assists from Gakpo.
The pair’s understanding is still in its early stages, but it already looks dangerous. Speaking afterwards, Gakpo was relaxed and upbeat about the partnership with the Sweden international, underlining the work they have been putting in together on the training pitch and joking that Isak now “owes” him a few assists in return.
On the pitch, Isak looked like a striker who cannot miss. He is in the form of his life, and it showed in a ruthless nine-minute spell that ripped the game away from the hosts. Both finishes oozed confidence and instinct, the kind of penalty-box work that separates a good forward from a lethal one.
Those two goals did more than kill the contest. Isak has already matched his entire Premier League goal tally from last season in just three games of this campaign, and his rapid double equalled a milestone not seen at Liverpool for more than a decade, matching a feat once achieved by Maxi Rodriguez. For a player still bedding into life at Anfield, that is serious company.
Iraola off the mark
For Iraola, this felt like a line in the sand. Two 2-2 draws to start his tenure had raised familiar doubts about Liverpool’s ability to control and close out matches. This time, there was no wobble. No late drama. Just a solid, professional job.
The win ensured the Spaniard avoided an unwanted piece of history: he did not become the first Liverpool manager since Brendan Rodgers to fail to win any of his first three Premier League games. Instead, he left Suffolk with three points, a clean sheet and a front line that suddenly looks in sync.
Gakpo, speaking to Sky Sports, called it a “much-needed win” and admitted there is still room for improvement. That was the only hint of caution on a night when Liverpool looked far more like a side with a clear attacking plan and the tools to execute it.
Van Dijk’s verdict: direct, dangerous, decisive
Virgil van Dijk, now the voice of authority in this Liverpool dressing room, liked what he saw. The captain highlighted the team’s more direct start, a deliberate ploy to pin the opposition back and “create a bit of chaos” in their half. From that chaos came control, and from control came goals.
He reserved special praise for Gakpo, calling him “outstanding” and stressing just how important it was that the forward stayed put amid external interest during the window. Van Dijk did not dress it up: Gakpo is “important for us, and he will be important this season.”
On this evidence, that feels less like a prediction and more like a certainty. Liverpool’s new era under Iraola needs pillars, players who can carry the tactical ideas onto the pitch and decide tight games. On Friday night, Gakpo did exactly that, with Isak providing the cutting edge.
If this is what their understanding looks like in early September, how much more damage could they do by the spring?
