Liverpool 4-1 Ipswich: First-half dominance at Anfield

Liverpool left little doubt from the very beginning on Saturday, as Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders scored three times in the first half and cruised to a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town.

MORE - Arne Slot reaction

The victory keeps Liverpool (53 points) top of the table with a six-point lead over Arsenal and extends their unbeaten run to 18 games (13W-5D-0L), dating back to Sept. 14 against Nottingham Forest, their only defeat in the PL this season.

WATCH – Liverpool v Ipswich full match replay

Cody Gakpo (twice), Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai got the goals as all three scored during a rip-roaring opening 45 minutes at Anfield. Ipswich had just three shots in the game but managed to steal a late consolation goal through Jacob Greaves in the 90th minute.

Liverpool’s consistently will see them stroll to title

The 2024-25 version of Liverpool isn’t going to go down as one of the best PL sides (or even the best at Anfield) in recent memory, but Arne Slot’s side has a secret weapon that no other side in the league doesn’t has this season, something that often eluded Jurgen Klopp’s best teams: consistency. Sure, it’s less exciting than Klopp’s heavy-metal football and they grind out wins more often than they blow their opponents away, but the current side controls games much more effectively and the entire squad still looks fresh with the business end of the season still to come. The Reds have drawn more games than they would have liked recently (5W-4D-0L), but Arsenal haven’t been able to capitalize and they remain a half-dozen points off the pace, and Liverpool still have a game in hand. They aren’t so much the unstoppable force this season, as they are a perfectly positioned immovable object.

Player ratings - Liverpool vs Ipswich

What’s next?

• Bournemouth vs Liverpool — Saturday, 10 am ET
• Ipswich vs Southampton — Saturday, 10 am ET

How to watch Liverpool vs Ipswich live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 10am ET Saturday (January 25)Venue: Anfield — LiverpoolTV Channel: PeacockStreaming: Premier League on Peacock

Liverpool vs Ipswich live updates - by Andy Edwards

Liverpool vs Ipswich final score: 4-1

Goalscorers: Dominik Szoboszlai (11'), Mohamed Salah (35'), Cody Gakpo (44', 66'), Jacob Greaves (90')

GOAL! Liverpool 4-0 Ipswich: Gakpo heads home Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant cross (66')

GOAL! Liverpool 3-0 Ipswich: Gakpo cleans up Szoboszlai’s rebound (44')

GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Ipswich: Salah finishes Gakpo’s cross from a tight angle (35')

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Ipswich: Szoboszlai finds a bit of space and has a go (11')

Liverpool starting lineup

Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson - Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai - Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

Ipswich starting lineup

Walton - O’Shea, Tuanzebe, Greaves, Davis - Morsy, Phillips, Hutchinson - Burns, Philogene, Delap

Arne Slot’s Liverpool broke through late on against Brentford last weekend with substitute Darwin Nunez scoring twice after the clock ticked to 90 minutes as the Reds then watched Arsenal cough up two points in the title race. Despite a few slip ups in recent weeks, Liverpool are looking calm and composed and are just getting on with business. Going into this weekend they have a six-point lead at the top with a game in-hand over their rivals.

Ipswich were hammered 6-0 at home by Manchester City last weekend but Kieran McKenna’s side are still within touching distance of safety and are only in the relegation zone on goal difference. They’ve made some savvy additions in the January window and the Tractor Boys are primed for one last push to just stay up.

Liverpool team news, focus

It’s pretty simple for Slot right now as this Liverpool team is very settled and he can rotate a few positions easily without much of a change. Tsimikas and Robertson are rotating well, while Nunez and Diaz are doing the same up top. Szoboszlai and Mac Allister will start in midfield with Gravenberch and when you’ve got Mohamed Salah around you’re always going to have a chance to win.

OUT: Joe Gomez (hamstring), Diogo Jota (muscle), Curtis Jones (muscle)

Ipswich team news, focus

The Tractor Boys took a battering last weekend but they’ve added some decent players in the January window so far with Enciso, Godfrey and Philogene all adding considerable quality to their squad. Philogene and Enciso are in line to make their debuts this weekend and both will relish the chance to become regulars in the Premier League.

OUT: Sammie Szmodics (ankle), Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Chiedozie Ogbene (achilles - out for season), Conor Chaplin (knee)

Liverpool vs Ipswich prediction

This seems like it will be a pretty straightforward win for Liverpool. They’re rotating well and are respecting opponents as they’ve cut out some sloppy defending. Liverpool 3-0 Ipswich.