Early days: Why Liverpool fans should not get carried away

Liverpool fans will be tempted to get carried away by what they have seen, but that will be living in a fool’s paradise.

The Premier League opening weekend has a way of tricking fans, especially when their teams start strong. Right now, Liverpool finds themselves in this category.

The Reds began the Arne Slot era in fine form, securing a 2-0 win after a largely frustrating midday battle against Ipswich Town at Portman Road. With goals from Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah in the 60th and 65th minutes, respectively, Liverpool held on to claim a valuable three points and temporarily move to the top of the Premier League.

However, calling the afternoon “frustrating” for the Reds would be an understatement had Ipswich Town enjoyed a bit more luck in the first half. Time and again, the Tractor Boys held their own, coming close to taking the lead on three separate occasions, only for Liverpool to be saved by timely interventions or missed chances. In fact, a goalkeeping error by Alisson Becker nearly cost Liverpool dearly, but Ipswich failed to capitalize.

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Eagle-eyed observers would notice a familiar issue that plagued the Reds last season under Jurgen Klopp: maintaining tempo and controlling pressure from opponents. In the first half, Ipswich pressed Liverpool relentlessly, forcing the Reds to defend for much of the period and resort to long-ball tactics reminiscent of Klopp’s tenure. This should raise real concerns for fans and temper any early-season optimism.

The same mistakes from last season seem to be repeating, with Liverpool’s midfield unable to withstand pressure effectively—a fact that could have changed the game entirely had Hutchinson converted his chance.

Though Liverpool managed to turn things around in the second half, this was largely due to Ipswich running out of energy—a point Arne Slot acknowledged in his post-match interview.

The need for a press-resistant defensive midfielder who can progress the ball and link defense with offense cannot be overstated. If Liverpool stubbornly refuses to strengthen this area, future opponents will likely exploit the same weaknesses Ipswich Town identified.

For Arne Slot, the game against Ipswich Town may have been a win, but beneath the surface lies a warning. There’s also the looming issue of Liverpool’s forward line lacking clinical finishers besides Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah when the pressure is on.