Ipswich Town Shows Character Despite Liverpool Defeat

Issa Diop insisted Ipswich Town showed character despite being punished early in their 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool at Portman Road.

Ipswich were rocked inside the opening 10 minutes, conceding twice to Alexander Isak as Liverpool seized control before many home fans had even settled into their seats. The start was brutal. The response, Diop argued, was not.

"It's even harder when it's again Liverpool and a top side like that," the defender told BBC Radio Suffolk, reflecting on a night that began in chaos but did not completely unravel.

The early double could have broken Ipswich. It didn’t. Gary O'Neil's side steadied, tightened up and began to play their way back into the contest, carving out opportunities and forcing Liverpool to work to protect their lead.

"The good thing is the response after conceding the second goal was good," Diop said. "We stuck together, we reacted well. We could have done better in different ways. You can always do better when you concede goals so we can work on it this week and we will be ready to face Crystal Palace [at Selhurst Park on Saturday]."

That theme of togetherness ran through Diop’s assessment. For all the frustration of the scoreline, he pointed to the mood inside the dressing room and the belief in the work being done under O'Neil.

"We have a good group with good coaching staff so I'm very happy here," he added.

Liverpool left with the points. Ipswich left with bruises and lessons. Crystal Palace now await, and Ipswich know they cannot afford another 10 minutes like that.