Arne Slot marked his Premier League debut as Liverpool manager with a 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town, thanks to second-half goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.
The Dutchman, tasked with succeeding Jurgen Klopp, saw his team come to life after a slow first half at Portman Road.
Ipswich, returning to the Premier League after 22 years, put up a spirited fight in front of celebrity fan Ed Sheeran, who attended before leaving at half-time for a concert in Serbia. The Tractor Boys created early chances, with Omari Hutchinson and Jacob Greaves testing Liverpool’s defense, but struggled to find the breakthrough.
Slot’s half-time adjustments paid off as Liverpool emerged stronger in the second half. After a series of missed opportunities, Jota opened the scoring on the hour mark, capitalizing on Salah’s unselfish assist following a pinpoint pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Just five minutes later, Salah added a second, combining with Dominik Szoboszlai for a one-two before netting his ninth opening-weekend goal for the Reds.
Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton made several key saves to keep the score respectable, but Kieran McKenna’s side was given a harsh lesson in the step up from the Championship to the Premier League. Despite their strong home record, Ipswich couldn’t match Liverpool’s class in the second half.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will look to build momentum under Slot with a favorable run of fixtures ahead, including games against Brentford, Nottingham Forest, and Wolves.
