Liverpool 2-4 Leeds United: Four goals in 25 minutes show why Iraola needs defensive signings

Liverpool 2-4 Leeds United: Four goals in 25 minutes show why Iraola needs defensive signings

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Pre-season friendlies can be notorious barometers for a team’s Premier League season — and Liverpool will be hoping that maxim holds true after this remarkable defeat to Leeds United in Chicago.

On a patchy Soldier Field pitch, Andoni Iraola’s side were 2-0 up and cruising, courtesy of goals from Luke Chambers and Florian Wirtz, but three goals in 13 second-half minutes and a late fourth from Dominic Calvert-Lewin (his second of the match) turned the contest on its head, with Leeds winning 4-2.

Our experts analyse the main talking points.

Liverpool need defensive reinforcements — quickly

With just three weeks until their Premier League campaign gets underway, Liverpool have still got plenty of transfer business to get done.

There’s the ongoing pursuit of France winger Bradley Barcola, who will essentially be Mohamed Salah’s replacement if they can agree a fee with Paris Saint-Germain. Barcola would be a statement signing, but at the other end of the field the need for defensive reinforcements is acute.

Iraola has had to rely on teenage centre-backs Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye throughout this tour. Left-back Luke Chambers has also been pressed into duty in the middle.

The situation has been made worse by the absence of captain Virgil van Dijk following the World Cup, the muscle injury Joe Gomez picked up in the first friendly in Nashville and the inactivity of new signing Jeremy Jacquet, who hasn’t been risked in the U.S. after feeling some discomfort in training. Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are still recovering from long-term injuries.

The youngsters have done well in the circumstances and credit to academy graduate Chambers, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Charlton Athletic.

However, the manner in which Liverpool fell to pieces in the second half in Chicago laid bare the importance of needing to strengthen both at centre-back and right-back. They just don’t have sufficient depth for the challenges ahead.

It was all far too easy for Leeds as Iraola’s side conceded four times in the space of 25 minutes. Liverpool were carved open so easily when Brenden Aaronson pulled one back and they couldn’t stem the tide.

Defending set-pieces was a glaring weakness under Arne Slot last season and it remains an issue, especially dealing with long throws. Calvert-Lewin was completely unmarked when he converted at the far post after a flick on from Joe Rodon with Kostas Tsimikas guilty of ball watching.

After Longstaff made it 3-2, Calvert-Lewin grabbed his second in familiar fashion as Liverpool were bullied from another long throw.

It was deflating for the majority of the 49,128-strong crowd as Liverpool followed up their best 45 minutes of pre-season with their worst.

James Pearce

Was this encouraging from Isak and Wirtz?

Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both struggled to live up to their hefty price tags last season.

Isak was dogged by fitness issues after arriving from Newcastle United for a British record fee of £125million and contributed just four goals in 22 appearances (13 starts) in all competitions.

Wirtz showed flashes of his talent following a £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen but struggled for consistency and ended up with a modest tally of seven goals and eight assists in 49 games (40 starts).

Ensuring they belatedly fulfil their potential at Anfield is going to be crucial to Andoni Iraola’s hopes of success at Anfield. The new era will be built around them.

This was their first outing of pre-season having only reported back for duty a week ago and the signs were highly promising.

Florian Wirtz celebrates his goal (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

Isak led the line with Wirtz occupying the No 10 role he favours and they helped set the tone for a dominant first-half display from Liverpool with their work off the ball as well as their quality on it.

Swedish striker Isak dropped deep at times to link play intelligently with Wirtz running into the space behind him. Wirtz was a creative force with an incisive pass through to Rio Ngumoha, who was thwarted by Joe Rodon’s challenge.

Isak had combined well with Jeremie Frimpong to win the corner which led to Liverpool’s opening goal from Chambers. And then five minutes before the break Wirtz doubled their lead when he put the finishing team to a wonderful team move.

It started with him receiving the ball from Isak on the wide and laying it off to Nyoni, who delivered an inviting cross to the far post. Frimpong’s cushioned volley dropped perfectly for Wirtz to convert.

Understandably, Isak and Wirtz didn’t emerge for the second half as Iraola rung the changes. Both have a platform to build on.

James Pearce

How did Leeds improve?

After a disjointed first half for Leeds, they were transformed in the second half. Daniel Farke had made four changes with Ao Tanaka, Anton Stach, Daniel James and Lukas Nmecha replaced by Sean Longstaff, Harry Wilson, Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The improvement was not instantaneous, but Leeds played their way into the second half and were soon in complete control although, ironically, the backbone of the performance was a theme throughout the full 90 minutes.

Ethan Ampadu’s long throws, which were one of the big strengths of last season, have not been seen much through this U.S. tour. However, they were there from the second minute onwards in Chicago.

Time and time again, a Leeds player would get the first header on these missiles into the area, but it was not until the second half they got onto those vital second balls. United’s second and fourth goals were finished by Calvert-Lewin after initial flicks from Joe Rodon and Sebastiaan Bornauw.

This is why Leeds have pursued gigantic players across their XI, particularly in central defence. Tarik Muharemovic, the 6ft 3in centre-back they paid £34.1million for last month, got his head to his fair share of throws, too.

Even away from the throws, though, this looked so much like the Leeds team which only lost five of their last 25 Premier League games last season. Rodon, on the right of the back-three, was able to venture forward and offer support upfield.

Ampadu was a comforting, dominant presence cleaning up in the middle. Longstaff continued what has been a superb tour with bite and thrust through the centre.

Jayden Bogle and James Justin, playing as wing-backs, were tucking in like No 10s through the channels to support Calvert-Lewin in the right moments. Meanwhile, Wilson had guile, linking up with his No 9 for the first time.

Aaronson brought industry and neat movement, while Calvert-Lewin knitted the whole thing together so intelligently. This was far from a full-strength Liverpool side, but this response to a poor first period has to be recognised from Leeds.

Beren Cross

Was there more armband drama with Liverpool?

After the public spat over the Liverpool captain’s armband in New York, there was no repeat in Chicago.

When the No 8 went up on the board with 21 minutes to go, stand-in skipper Dominik Szoboszlai turned and made a beeline for Curtis Jones. The armband was passed over and there was an affectionate tap on the back of the head for Jones before Szoboszlai headed for the touchline.

Jones had reacted angrily at Yankee Stadium after the Hungary midfielder had given it to Kostas Tsimikas instead in similar circumstances.

This time Jones got what he felt was rightfully his given his greater seniority in the squad, but uncertainty over his future rumbles on with Inter renewing their pursuit of him. Liverpool’s return to Merseyside should bring some clarity on that front.

Heading straight from Soldier Field to the airport, Liverpool are due to land back in the UK on Monday morning with the squad reconvening at Kirkby on Wednesday to start preparations for next Sunday’s Anfield friendly against Monaco.

James Pearce

Gudmundsson’s cause for concern

The priority for Leeds in pre-season, above virtually everything else, is bringing their squad through the summer programme unscathed so Gabriel Gudmundsson prompted some cause for concern in the first half of the clash with Liverpool.

The Sweden international returned to the Leeds camp later than others after his nation’s run to the round of 32 at the World Cup. However, he had to limp off in the 35th minute of this friendly.

Early in the match, the 27-year-old wing-back had contested a bouncing ball on the edge of the Liverpool area and landed heavily on his back. He required treatment and seemed to indicate he had winded himself, after rubbing the back of his head, too.

He carried on, but in the 33rd minute he sat down, off the ball, and awaited treatment, appearing to hold his right hamstring. He was replaced by Sebastiaan Bornauw and did walk off under his own steam, but looked in discomfort.

Beren Cross