Ipswich Town 0-2 Liverpool: Positives for Tractor Boys on top-flight return

Kieran McKenna has turned Portman Road into a fortress during his time in charge of Ipswich Town, his team losing just one of their past 39 home league matches prior to Saturday's visit of Liverpool.

For a while, it looked as though the Tractor Boys might continue that fine record as they more than matched Arne Slot's team in the first half, with Jacob Greaves and and Omari Hutchinson both testing Alisson in the Liverpool goal.

Unfortunately for the hosts, they were unable to maintain their intensity levels after the break as the visitors laid siege to the Ipswich goal and twice went close to breaking the deadlock before Diogo Jota's opener.

Mohamed Salah's close-range finish all but ended Ipswich's hopes of a route back into the game, but there were plenty of positives for the home side - who began the match with seven of the players who started the club's final game of the 2022-23 League One campaign.

Sammie Szmodics made his debut in the second half after joining the club from Blackburn Rovers last week, while Kalvin Phillips was left on the bench following his season-long loan move from Manchester City.

If Ipswich's latest new arrivals can settle in quickly, Tractor Boys fans will fancy their chances of staving off relegation.