Cody Gakpo scored twice and assisted another goal as Liverpool secured a 4-1 win over struggling Ipswich Town at Anfield on Saturday, keeping them at the top of the Premier League.
The victory brings Liverpool to 53 points, six ahead of second-place Arsenal, who won 1-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ipswich remains in 18th place with 16 points, tied with Wolves on goal difference.
Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Ibrahima Konaté found him in space outside the box. Szoboszlai then cut inside onto his left foot and placed a shot into the bottom-right corner.
Mohamed Salah made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, finishing Gakpo’s cross from the back post by blasting the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
Liverpool led 3-0 at halftime after Szoboszlai’s shot was parried into Gakpo’s path, and he scored from close range in the 44th minute.
Ipswich forward Liam Delap tried to get into the box early in the second half but went down under Konaté’s challenge. The referee waved away their penalty claims.
Ipswich finally managed a shot on target in the 60th minute, but Alisson saved it comfortably.
Despite their solid defense, Ipswich conceded once more in the 66th minute when Gakpo headed home a precise cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold later struck the post with a first-time shot as Ipswich continued to defend their box.
Ipswich got a goal back in the 90th minute when defender Jacob Greaves headed in a corner, but Liverpool’s dominant performance saw them secure all three points.
“I really do love scoring here but the most important thing was the win today,” Gakpo said, praising Alexander-Arnold’s perfect pass. “Everyone knows his quality, I was eager to be on time in the box.”
Gakpo’s second goal led to a triple substitution by Ipswich coach Arne Slot, who made changes to rest his players for future matches.
“We stay very focused. We are there every day on the training field to keep improving ourselves. There is a long way to go. Step by step,” Gakpo said.
