Cody Gakpo Dominates Liverpool's 2-0 Victory

Cody Gakpo walked off into the Suffolk night with his future still being debated outside Anfield – but not by anyone who had just watched this. On a tense Friday evening, he didn’t just influence Liverpool’s 2-0 win. He owned it.

For a player surrounded by transfer noise all summer, this felt like a pointed reply. Every touch had purpose, every run dragged defenders into places they didn’t want to go. By full-time, the talk of a departure sounded faint, almost absurd. In Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool, Gakpo looked less like a dispensable asset and more like the system’s beating heart.

Gakpo the creator, Isak the finisher

The scoreboard will remember Alexander Isak. Strikers usually get that privilege. A ruthless nine-minute brace, both laid on by Gakpo, underlined a forward in the hottest form of his Premier League career.

Isak has already matched his entire league tally from last season in just three games of this one. Confidence drips off him now. His movement is sharper, his finishing colder. Two chances, two goals – the kind of economy in front of goal managers dream about.

Those nine minutes were wild. Gakpo kept finding pockets of space, threading passes that sliced the defence open, and Isak finished with the kind of predatory instinct that separates a good run from a genuine purple patch. The burst carried a historical weight too: the former Newcastle man matched a feat last seen at Liverpool when Maxi Rodriguez was in red, a reminder of how rare this sort of scoring blitz has been over the past decade.

Gakpo, though, wasn’t just feeding his striker and disappearing. He dictated tempo, drifted between the lines, and constantly gave Iraola’s side a platform to play from. His vision and unselfishness in the final third turned a potentially awkward away game into a controlled, professional victory.

Afterwards, he spoke like a player enjoying his football and his partnership. On his growing connection with Isak, the Netherlands international said: "Yeah, we will see. We always train together, and always try to get to know each other better. Hopefully we can assist each other many times. He owes me a few assists now!"

The smile behind those words matched the performance.

Iraola’s first win, and a statement in the dugout

For Iraola, this was more than three points. It was a small line in Liverpool history he was desperate to avoid. Having opened his reign with back-to-back 2-2 draws, questions had already started to circle about his team’s ability to close games out.

Not here. Not this time.

Liverpool were disciplined, aggressive in the right moments, and ruthless when the chances came. The 2-0 scoreline felt controlled rather than fragile. Any early-season muttering about defensive frailty or late collapses faded with every cleared cross and every regained second ball.

The win also spared Iraola an unwanted comparison. He avoided becoming the first Liverpool manager since Brendan Rodgers to fail to win any of his first three Premier League matches in charge. It is a small statistic, but managers know how quickly those numbers start to define a tenure. Iraola now has his foothold.

Van Dijk’s verdict: direct, dangerous, decisive

Virgil van Dijk, armband on and authority intact, cut straight to the point at full-time. The captain liked what he saw – especially from Gakpo.

"I think we were a little bit more direct in the beginning, which is what we wanted to put the danger in their half and create a bit of chaos," the Dutch defender said. "Great goals. Cody was outstanding. Great win, and on to the next."

That early directness set the tone. Liverpool didn’t overcomplicate things. They pushed the ball forward quickly, forced mistakes, and let their front line do damage. In that chaos, Gakpo thrived.

Van Dijk also made no attempt to hide how vital he believes Gakpo is to the season ahead, particularly after interest from elsewhere during the window. "Massive. I said it before the transfer window had closed, he's important for us, and he will be important this season."

Inside the dressing room, there is no debate. Gakpo stays. Gakpo leads.

A partnership taking shape

Isak’s form will dominate highlight reels, but the story here is the partnership. One creator, one finisher, both locked in. Gakpo’s awareness and timing, Isak’s movement and edge – it already looks like a combination that can trouble any defence in the division.

Gakpo himself framed it simply: they train together, they learn each other’s runs, they want to share the numbers. The joking line – "He owes me a few assists now!" – carried a competitive edge that every successful attacking duo needs.

This wasn’t a night for dramatic comebacks or late winners. It was something more reassuring for Liverpool: a clear plan, key players stepping up, and a manager getting his first win with a performance that felt repeatable, not random.

If this is what Iraola’s Liverpool looks like with Gakpo pulling the strings and Isak in this kind of mood, the real question isn’t whether the Dutchman leaves.

It’s how far this team can go with him right at the centre of it.