EPL: Salah scores as Liverpool defeat newly-promoted Ipswich Town

Mohamed Salah was on target as Liverpool turned on the style in the second half to defeat newly promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town 2-0 on Saturday.

The game was the first for Liverpool under new manager Arne Slot.

Kieran McKenna’s side restricted Liverpool to no shots on target in the first 45 minutes as their intensity and pressing made life hard for the Reds, but the difference in class soon shone through after the break.

Diogo Jota scored the first Premier League goal of the Slot era when gobbling up an expert pass from Salah on 60 minutes before the Egyptian got his own five minutes later and became the outright top scorer in Premier League opening-day matches with nine goals.

Ipswich were back in the top flight for the first time in 22 years after back-to-back promotions under McKenna, who signed a new deal at the club in the summer.

The hosts played with vigour and organisation in the first half in front of a buoyant Portman Road crowd.

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Quality openings were few and far between though with a lightning-quick counter-attack providing the best opportunity which ended with Omari Hutchinson’s low strike being routine enough for Alisson.

Liverpool, who finished third in Jurgen Klopp’s last season, went up a level after the break with Jota able to force the opener on the hour mark following an assist by Salah.

Jota had inexplicably headed wide in the 59th minute from a wonderful Trent Alexander-Arnold delivery but redeemed himself 60 seconds afterwards with a typically tidy finish.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Virgil van Dijk picked out Salah, who exchanged passes with Dominik Szoboszlai before steering a low finish home. That was one of 15 shots Liverpool attempted in a completely dominant second half where the task facing McKenna and his team this season was laid bare.

It is Manchester City away next for Ipswich.

The Star