Ipswich Town v Liverpool: Key stats and talking points

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Friday's Premier League match (20:00 BST), with Liverpool heading to Suffolk in search of a first win under Andoni Iraola. Will spending spree pay off for Ipswich? Ipswich announced their 14th and final signing of the transfer window on deadline day, with striker Zian Flemming joining from Burnley . The Dutchman's arrival completed an unprecedented recruitment drive for the Blues, who have spent approximately £186m strengthening their squad. That surpasses the record for a newly promoted Premier League club in a single window, set by Sunderland last year, and also exceeds the summer outlay of European giants such as Barcelona and Paris St-Germain. Chairman Mark Ashton revealed last month that the club's US owners had instructed him to "go right to the limit of financial fair play". They are gambling that greater investment, coupled with a shift towards signing primarily overseas players, will help Town bridge the gulf in quality. Ipswich's spending has focused mainly on midfield and attacking reinforcements. Although former Fulham centre-back Issa Diop has come into the side, three of the back four who started this season's opening two league games were also first-choice when the Tractor Boys were relegated in 2024-25 and defence may be an area of weakness. That was certainly the case in last weekend's 5-2 defeat at Manchester United . After a competitive first half, Ipswich lost their way shortly after the restart, conceding twice in the space of three minutes. Gary O'Neil admitted his side lacked "emotional discipline" after United's second goal was allowed to stand despite Harry Maguire handling the ball in the build-up. Greater composure will be needed against opponents who usually dominate this fixture. The Tractor Boys have lost their last four league games against Liverpool, conceding 17 times and scoring just once, while it is 40 years since their last home victory over the Merseysiders. [BBC] Barcola set for Liverpool bow Liverpool came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, just as they did at Newcastle on the opening weekend. New boss Andoni Iraola, who failed to win any of his first nine Premier League matches as Bournemouth head coach, will hope it is third time lucky at Portman Road. The Spaniard said this week he was happy with his side's summer transfer business. The Reds' net spend was approximately £200m, the highest in the top flight, although the decision not to strengthen at full-back has come under scrutiny. More than half of the outlay went on former Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, who is available to make his Premier League debut. The 23-year-old did not come cheap, having joined for a fee of £107m that could rise to £123m, but has a combination of attributes that would appeal to any club seeking an elite goalscoring wide player. Barcola's best season to date came in 2024-25, when he scored or assisted 39 goals, the ninth-highest total by any player in Europe's top five leagues. While that figure fell to 21 last season, many of his underlying metrics remained impressive. Used primarily on the left flank, Barcola utilised his dribbling ability and pace to create shooting opportunities for himself. He was the only player in Europe's top five leagues to average more than two shot-ending carries per 90 minutes, defined as shots taken after carrying the ball for at least five metres. He also ranked highly for receiving the ball in dangerous areas, averaging nearly nine touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes. That placed him seventh among more than 1,500 eligible players, on a list headed by Barcelona star Lamine Yamal. [BBC]