Cody Gakpo scored twice and set up another as Liverpool cruised to a 4-1 win over Ipswich Town at Anfield that maintained their six-point advantage at the Premier League summit.
TV Info - Broadcasters
It was a dominant first-half showing from the hosts as goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Gakpo had them three ahead at the interval.
After what had been a one-sided opening 45 minutes, the match became more even as it progressed, but any doubt over the outcome was ended midway through the second half when Gakpo headed in his second from Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross.
Jacob Greaves struck with an aerial effort of his own in the last minute to give Ipswich a consolation, but it was otherwise a comfortable afternoon for Liverpool.
Liverpool’s title rivals Arsenal were pushed to the limit as they won 1-0 despite being reduced to 10 men at Wolverhampton Wanderers, so the Reds’ lead at the top remains six points with a game in hand on the Gunners.
Ipswich stay 18th in the table, behind Wolves on goal difference.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
22 | +33 | 53 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
23 | +23 | 47 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
23 | +6 | 44 |
| 4 |
Man City
MCI
|
23 | +17 | 41 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
23 | +14 | 41 |
How the match unfolded
Despite some early positivity from Ipswich, Liverpool quickly took control as their attacking power ruthlessly punctured the visitors three times before half-time.
Szoboszlai got the ball rolling for Arne Slot's side as he arrowed past Christian Walton from the edge of the box in the 11th minute, before Salah reached 19 league goals for the campaign when he smartly crashed Gakpo's 35th-minute cross into the roof of the net.
Gakpo then got in on the act himself after 44 minutes, prodding in from close range after Walton had denied Szoboszlai.
The intensity inevitably dropped in the second half, as Ipswich battled for pride, but Liverpool's control of possession kept the visitors at arm’s length.
Ipswich began to tire as the match progressed, and Gakpo's second goal of the match arrived via an inch-perfect ball from Alexander-Arnold on 66 minutes, adding extra gloss to the scoreline.
There was time for Kieran McKenna’s men to give the travelling fans something to cheer about, as Greaves salvaged some positivity after being set up by debutant Julio Enciso.
Szoboszlai adds new dimension to Liverpool's attack
Liverpool are not short on goal threats in this campaign, with Salah already beating his league tally from last season while Gakpo and Luis Diaz are firmly on course to better their own league totals from 2023/24.
However, the one area Liverpool have lacked goals from has been midfield, with Slot opting for greater control over dynamism from deeper areas.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have excelled as a deep double act in Slot's debut campaign, but the former is yet to score a league goal, and the latter has only managed one.
Szoboszlai's breakthrough strike against Ipswich took him up to three league goals for the season and, when playing, he is the midfielder afforded more license to charge forward.
Slot will not drastically change the direction of his midfield, but the addition of goals via late runs into the box will cause more headaches for opposition defences, as Szoboszlai looks to edge ahead of Curtis Jones as a consistent starter.
Liverpool have a stacked fixture schedule coming up, including a hugely testing league trip to AFC Bournemouth next weekend, the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur on 6 February and the rearranged Merseyside derby on 12 February.
After such an impressive display here, Szoboszlai will hope for more chances in those huge matches, while Gakpo has now netted in five straight home league matches, becoming only the third Dutch player to achieve that feat in the Premier League after Ruud van Nistelrooy (August 2003) and Robin van Persie (twice in March 2012 and January 2013).
Delap dependence deepens Ipswich's struggles
Ipswich have earned two of their three league wins this season on the road against Spurs and Wolves, but another away success never looked likely here.
In stark contrast to Liverpool's ability to spread goals around their team, Ipswich's chances of remaining in the Premier League next season rest heavily on Liam Delap's shoulders.
The Englishman has led the line superbly for Ipswich so far this season, with eight league goals scored as the powerful focal point of McKenna's attack.
However, he is now on a run of just two goals scored in his last 11 appearances, and he clearly needs more support from those around him, having failed to record a shot in this game and with Ipswich having taken just one point from four matches since beating Chelsea at Portman Road in their last match of 2024.
Defeat at Anfield will not define Ipswich's chances of top-flight safety, but McKenna is in clear need of a Plan B for the remainder of the campaign.
Sam Szmodics' injury has disrupted his attacking options, but finding some alternative ways to threaten will be vital in the coming weeks ahead of a huge home encounter with bottom-of-the-table Southampton next Saturday.
Club reports
Liverpool report | Ipswich report
What the managers said
Arne Slot: I think today is the way you want to start the game: we were aggressive, dominant. For 85 minutes they have hardly been in our half I think. It is a counter-attack threat with the wingers they have and with [Liam] Delap but we managed to control that so, so, so well because of the amount of work we have put in."
Kieran McKenna: "It was another tough game for us. There was positivity in how we ended it. I didn't think first half we were under huge pressure but Liverpool are clinical and we didn't defend our box well enough. It's come at a tricky stage of the season but we will take our lessons from it."
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
Liverpool have now picked up more points (26) and wins (8) at home in the Premier League this season than any other side, while today was the first time they scored four or more goals in the league at Anfield this campaign.
Szoboszlai’s 11th-minute opener was Liverpool’s earliest Premier League goal at Anfield since September 2023 – when the Hungarian himself scored in the 3rd minute against Aston Villa.
Salah scored his 19th Premier League goal of the season, the most of any player in 2024/25, and surpassing his total in the whole of last campaign (18 in 32 appearances). He netted his 176th goal in the competition overall – surpassing Thierry Henry’s tally (175).
