Liverpool were so mesmerisingly impressive in the first half at Portman Road, it was easy to forget they had their showpiece signing keeping warm on the bench.

Bradley Barcola, all £123million of him, was limited to a watching brief for the first hour of this game and, from his padded seat, the Frenchman may have been pondering just how he gets in this team.

Alexander Isak led the charge with two goals in the first nine minutes to help Liverpool halfway to their first win of the Andoni Iraola era, as the Swede closes in on matching his tally from last season already.

Iraola’s front four resembled the Red Arrows, flying forward at breakneck speed, with Cody Gakpo and the rapid bundle of joy Victor Munoz causing all sorts of problems for Ipswich.

Off the ball, Liverpool strangled their opposition into submission and barely gave them a second to breathe, in scenes that would delight boss Iraola who prides himself on intensity, relentless pressing and constant energy.

This was the true lift-off, then, for the Iraola era after two iffy draws to begin left him with more questions than answers. Just like the Arne Slot era which began here two years ago, Portman Road was the location of the first victory for Iraola.

Alexander Isak struck twice in the opening nine minutes to giver Liverpool the lead

Isak produced a smart piece of play to double the lead in a dominant start from the Reds

The result gave Andoni Iraola’s era a true lift off after draws in Liverpool’s opening two games

Tougher tests than newly-promoted Ipswich await ahead and Liverpool were far from perfect, either – as the home team created problems at the other end – but this evidence sent a warning to Premier League rivals: do not write off Liverpool.

With £125m man Isak firing with two instinctive finishes, £116m Florian Wirtz causing issues and Gakpo looking like a new man, Liverpool’s attack is frightening.

Gakpo, of course, is well worth a mention. Had the last seven days gone ever so slightly differently, the winger would have been a Manchester City player. The two clubs were in advanced discussions over sanctioning that move.

Some Reds fans might not have lost too much sleep over Gakpo leaving, given his form was inconsistent and frustrating last term. Maybe, too, they would have happily seen him depart given it would have meant the club signed a replacement.

But the grass is not always greener on the other side and Gakpo is now resembling the Flying Dutchman everyone knows he can be. A thunderous goal against Newcastle, setting one up against Nottingham Forest last week and now two exquisite assists here.

It was Gakpo’s pick-out that helped Isak open the scoring after six minutes at Portman Road. The winger skipped past a challenge then punched a pass through a tight angle into Isak’s path. Not a breath later, the former Newcastle man was wheeling away in celebration.

Without even pausing for thought, Isak fired a powerful shot past Kjell Scherpen. The goalkeeper should have done better but Isak did not care a jot after an instinctive finish, the sort we have not seen since his acrimonious Newcastle exit.

Three minutes later, the Gakpo-Isak duo combined again. This one was less about power and more about ingenuity, as Isak danced away from Jacob Greaves, worked himself an angle and poked a shot past Scherpen. Again, it was an inch-perfect assist from Gakpo.

Given Isak spent the majority of last season unfit, it is easy to forget just how talented he is. He was worth £125m for a reason, after all, but as old boss Arne Slot used to say: he was signed for six years, not six months.

Liverpool’s new £123m signing Bradley Barcola was given a watching brief for the first hour

If Liverpool’s attacking signings hit the heights, there sky is the limit for Iraola’s side 

Season one was a slog but the early signs are that his sophomore year at Anfield will be much better. Indeed, the sky is the limit for the striker if he can keep fit and then reach the form that saw him become the most expensive signing in British history in the first place.

It was not just Isak’s goals but his overall play that would delight Iraola. Even when he was in the team last year, one could argue he never truly looked sharp. Maybe when he finally did look fit after having no pre-season for Newcastle, Isak broke his leg in December.

But with a goal last week and a brace here, the £125m man is looking fitter and stronger than at any point last term. He is playing with a smile on his face and foxed defenders by dropping deep or out wide, interchanging positions with Gakpo and Wirtz.

The German is another who is desperate for an improvement after a poor debut campaign and he also shone here. Indeed, Wirtz thought he had teed up Isak for a hat-trick later in the first half but the Swede was marginally offside.

Ipswich looked shell-shocked in the opening exchanges but Gary O’Neil’s side settled well and had a number of chances, ending the first 45 minutes with more expected goals (xG) than dominant Liverpool.

It was a number to make the whole xG statistic look silly as the Reds were by far the better team, but Iraola would still want his defence to be more solid. Debutant Ronald Araujo, in at right back, put in a solid shift, as did new signing Jeremy Jacquet.

Julio Enciso went close several times and overlapping left back Leif Davis caused problems but, unlike in the two 2-2 draws to start the season, Liverpool looked more comfortable at the back and answered all of Ipswich’s questions.

Had Ipswich’s final ball been better, they would have scored and inflicted some Liverpool nerves. The amount of chances the Tractor Boys created may bug Iraola as he boarded the plane home – but the overriding emotion will be delight at his red-hot attacking quartet.

If Isak, Wirtz and Co can hit the heights and fulfil their potential, the sky is the limit for Iraola and Liverpool, especially with £123m Barcola still to break into the side.

The Frenchman, a back-to-back Champions League winner, enjoyed a second-half cameo and was serenaded by the away end. With Iraola’s Red Arrows playing like this, Barcola is not guaranteed to waltz into the starting XI just yet.