Ipswich v Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and reaction after Salah and Jota scored in new era for club

Liverpool are the only Premier League side not to sign a player so far this summer, with Martin Zubimendi perhaps deemed the only player of a high enough quality to be worthy of signing. They have been linked with Valencia ‘keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, but if he did sign he would likely be loaned out immediately.

Nevertheless, the Reds have been linked with a host of other players, including Real Sociedad’s Take Kubo and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon.

The Reds have let several players leave this summer, including Adrian, Fabio Carvalho and young midfielder Bobby Clark.

Ipswich have been more active in the market, with Kieran McKenna recently adding both Kalvin Phillips and Sammie Szmodics, who was the top scorer in the Championship last season.

The Tractor Boys have also added Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea, Liam Delap from Man City and Ben Johnson from West Ham.

England international Kalvin Phillips has joined newly-promoted Ipswichon a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Manchester City.

The 28-year-old midfielder, who spent the second half of last season with West Ham, could make his debut in Saturday’s clash with Liverpool at Portman Road.

“This is a day I’ve been waiting a number of weeks for now and I’m very happy to be here,” Phillips told the Tractor Boys’ website.

“I want to play as many games as possible, enjoy playing football again and help the team win as many games as possible in the Premier League.”

Last season had barely finished when one man at Anfield launched into a chorus of Arne Slot’s name. Many another joined in. It helped, of course, that the instigator of the chant was Jurgen Klopp, in a parting gift.

Klopp set the scene for Slot’s reign. His will also be the spectre that looms over it. Liverpool have lost their biggest character, their best communicator, their most charismatic figure. Their history shows that they can go on to greater success thereafter: Bob Paisley won more trophies than the iconic Bill Shankly. And if such a comparison applies pressure to Slot, the Dutchman has spent team meetings looking at areas where Liverpool can improve from last season.

Klopp gave “Liverpool 2.0” their nickname. He was their biggest advocate. At least, to continue the references to Liverpool’s past, Slot has not started off as the Graeme Souness to the German’s Kenny Dalglish. He has not taken an axe to the group of players he inherited; Klopp felt he left a “fantastic squad” and his selflessness in rebuilding and promoting younger players showed he was planning for a future without him.

Here’s everything you need to know if you want to catch today’s match live on TV.

Ipswich v Liverpool kicks off at 12.30pm BST on Saturday, 17 August and takes place at Portman Road in Ipswich, England.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11am. Subscribers will also be able to watch on a live stream via the Discovery+ app and website.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

It promises to be an entertaining game at Portman Road, with Ipswich looking to lay down a marker in McKenna’s first game in the Premier League. Nevertheless, Liverpool’s preseason performances under Slot, coupled with the underlying quality in their squad, suggest that the Reds should have enough to come away with an opening win. Ipswich 1-3 Liverpool.

Ipswich XI: Muric; Tuanzebe, Burgess, Edmundson; Johnson, Morsy, Luongo, Davis; Hutchinson, Delap, Harness.

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.

New Ipswich signings Arijanet Muric, Ben Johnson and Liam Delap both started the Tractor Boys’ final preseason game last week, so they are all in line to start.

However, the trio of Nathan Broadhead, Harry Clarke and George Hirst are unavailable due to injury.

Arne Slot has no new injury concerns, and has welcomed back Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo after their extended breaks. Andy Robertson managed 60 minutes against Las Palmas on Sunday, so he may be fit enough to start at left-back after missing the tour of the US through injury.

Whether the Dutchman prefers Jarell Quansah to Ibrahima Konate at the back remains to be seen, while Diogo Jota could start upfront for the Reds as he did several times in preseason.

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot begins life in the Premier League with a trip to Kieran McKenna’s newly promoted Ipswich side on Saturday afternoon.

The Dutchman joined the Reds from Feyenoord earlier in the summer, and enjoyed a successful preseason before the club was surprised by a rejection from their top midfield target – Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

Nevertheless, Slot will feel he has a squad capable of challenging for the league title – all he needs to do now is prove its credentials.

Meanwhile, Ipswich have attempted to make shrewd signings as they bid to ensure Premier League survival in their first season in the top flight since 2001/02, with McKenna’s decision to stay in charge providing an early boost at the start of the summer.

And both managers will back themselves to make an impact at either end of the table, with Saturday’s match an excellent opportunity to lay down a marker to their closest rivals.

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the first early kick-off of a new Premier League season!

The second game of the season pits newly promoted Ipswich against Arne Slot’s new-look Liverpool side at Portman Road, and it promises to be a cracker.

We’ll have all the build-up, team news and live updates as they come.

All the next great managers tend to be described in the same way: obsessive, a perfectionist, a details guy with a personal touch who always remembers the kit man’s birthday.

Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is certainly one of those: he has amassed more points than any manager in English football since taking charge in League One in 2021 and has now led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions. A win against Huddersfield on Saturday sealed their return to the Premier League after 22 years away.

McKenna has big tactical ideas and a distinctive way to play. He conveys energy and enthusiasm and earns the trust of his players. But what stands out is that, first and foremost, McKenna is a coach: he doesn’t just get the best out of players, he makes them better.