Liverpool began their season with a victory over Ipswich, thanks in large part to the contributions of Salah and Jota.
Arne Slot commenced his tenure as Liverpool manager with a
victorious start in the Premier League, securing a 2-0 triumph against
newly-promoted Ipswich on Saturday, thanks to two rapid goals from Diogo Jota
and Mohamed Salah.
Slot faces the challenging task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp
at Anfield, yet the Dutchman will likely take encouragement from a dominant
performance in the second half.
Ipswich, buoyed by consecutive promotions, marked their
return to the Premier League after a 22-year absence.
Notably, celebrity fan and minority owner Ed Sheeran
attended the match at Portman Road, although he departed at half-time to
fulfill a performance commitment in Serbia.
Sheeran witnessed a spirited display from the Tractor Boys,
who were not intimidated by their prestigious opponents in the early stages.
Omari Hutchinson had a shot blocked within the first two
minutes, and Jacob Greaves headed the best opportunity of the first half too
close to Alisson Becker.
Slot remains the sole new addition at Anfield, as Liverpool
is the only team in the Premier League yet to make a signing during the
transfer window.
The necessity for new players was evident during a
lackluster and sluggish first half.
However, Slot's motivational talk at half-time proved
effective, as the Reds emerged as a transformed side after the break, with the
potential to secure a more convincing victory.
Greaves made a crucial clearance to deny Salah's curling
effort from finding the far corner.
Conversely, Liverpool narrowly avoided a penalty when a push
by Virgil van Dijk on Liam Delap was dismissed due to a marginal offside in the
preceding play.
Luis Diaz squandered a golden opportunity to score when he
shot over from close range following excellent build-up play by Trent
Alexander-Arnold and Dominik Szoboszlai. Alexander-Arnold's enticing cross was
then headed wide by Jota with the goal at his mercy.
Liverpool's sustained pressure finally bore fruit on the
hour mark, as another incisive pass from Alexander-Arnold dismantled Ipswich's
defense, allowing Salah to selflessly assist Jota, who redeemed himself for his
earlier miss.
Five minutes later, the score increased to 2-0 as Salah
capitalized on a one-two with Szoboszlai, marking his ninth goal on the
season's opening weekend for Liverpool.
In the final moments, Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton
executed a series of impressive saves, particularly against Salah and Conor
Bradley, thereby averting a more severe defeat on the first day.
Kieran McKenna’s squad had maintained an unbeaten home
record in the league for nearly a year.
However, Ipswich received an early indication of the
significant disparity in quality between the Championship and the Premier
League. The upcoming weekend presents further challenges for Ipswich as they
prepare to face the reigning champions, Manchester City.
Conversely, Liverpool has the opportunity to establish early
momentum under Slot, with a series of matches against Brentford, Nottingham
Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, and Crystal Palace in the next six Premier League
fixtures, sandwiched around a trip to Manchester United next month, prior to
the October international break.