What we learned from Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge of Liverpool
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool reign began with a win here in Nashville, but Joe Gomez’s injury soured their 4-2 victory over Sunderland at Geodis Park.
The club’s longest-serving player limped off early on and will undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Kieran Morrison, 19, fired Liverpool ahead but Enzo Le Fee equalised before the break. Timur Tutierov put Sunderland in front early in the second half but then Iraola’s side took control in front of a crowd of 24,897.
After Dominik Szoboszlai restored parity, goals from Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas ensured Liverpool’s U.S. pre-season tour started in style.
The squad flew straight back to their training base in Chicago post-match with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch waiting to greet them after the end of their post-World Cup break.
A different style of football?
When Liverpool sacked Arne Slot at the end of last season, they turned to Iraola because they wanted to see a change of style.
The Basque coach was tasked with bringing front foot, attacking football back to Anfield. The former Bournemouth boss has only had two weeks to work with a depleted squad shorn of their biggest names following the World Cup. However, the early signs are certainly encouraging.
It was noticeable how Liverpool played with a higher tempo than under Slot and were more direct, getting the ball forward quicker rather than passing it sideways.
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool were more direct (Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Setting them up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Iraola used Harvey Elliott as the most advanced central midfielder in the first half before playing Szoboszlai in that role after the break.
Liverpool’s new head coach cut an animated figure on the touchline as he barked orders and gesticulated wildly. He applauded the sight of a youthful line up hunting in packs as they pressed high and unsettled Sunderland’s backline.
“We had some good spells on the ball,” he told LFCTC. “But I think we lacked a little bit of intensity. You can feel the timing is still not there. We have to work a lot more but it’s a starting point. We still have a lot of things to improve.”
Iraola used 22 players in the first friendly of his tenure and, of those, only Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Szoboszlai and Rio Ngumoha are likely to be in contention to start next month’s Premier League opener against Newcastle United.
Given the personnel on duty, this was a decent watch. But the lack of star quality on display probably explains why there were 5,000 empty seats in the 30,000-capacity Geodis Park, especially given that tickets cost between $129 to $392 (£96-£292).
Gomez injury exposes need for defensive reinforcements
With captain Virgil van Dijk on holiday following the World Cup, Giovanni Leoni still recovering from a serious knee injury and new signing Jeremy Jacquet left out of the squad for the opening tour game as a precaution, Iraola’s centre-back options were already limited.
The situation got worse inside eight minutes against Sunderland when Joe Gomez went down off the ball with a muscle problem and couldn’t continue. Iraola described it post-match as “the worst news”.
Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and now must wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe came on to replace him as he formed a rookie defensive partnership with fellow 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye. Both youngsters were snapped up in January after impressing at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar. Ndukwe cost £2.5million from Austria Vienna, while Ndiaye arrived from Senegalese side Amitie for £1million.
In the circumstances, they performed admirably with Ndukwe a real commanding presence. Unfortunately, Liverpool won’t be able to call upon the Austria youth international this season as he doesn’t meet the required points total to get a work permit in the UK. He will be sent out on loan but his potential is clear.
No matter how long Gomez is ruled out for, Liverpool need defensive reinforcements. They are thin both at centre-back and right-back, and this game only served to expose that.
“We were happy because we were kind of going through all the training without losing any player. Unluckily for us, straight away we’ve lost Joe,” Iraola said.
“With Jeremy, we decided to take it easy with him. He has been a lot of months without playing with a shoulder injury. He will play probably the last game of this U.S. tour.”
Spectacular Szoboszlai does it again
Dominik Szoboszlai was the centre of attention in Nashville.
Every time he went to take a corner, the noise levels cranked up as Liverpool’s supporters paid homage to the Hungary international, who recently committed his future to the club by signing a new five-year contract.
Szoboszlai didn’t disappoint them as he produced a dazzling second-half performance after taking the armband following his half-time introduction.
Liverpool were trailing 2-1 early in the second half when the midfielder chested the ball down just outside the box and unleashed a fierce strike past Melker Ellborg. Szoboszlai made a habit of chipping in with spectacular contributions last season and he’s started off in the same vein.
Szobo back with a bang 💥 pic.twitter.com/TWuP1t6g2r
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 26, 2026
Szoboszlai was also heavily involved in ensuring that Iraola’s side wrapped up victory late on. It was his relentless pressing which forced Sunderland to cough up possession and then he played in Koumas, who kept his nerve to slot home.
Young players take their chance
This contest provided a platform for Liverpool’s youngsters to shine. James McConnell, Trey Nyoni, Morrison and Koumas were the pick of them.
McConnell was excellent at the heart of the midfield in the first half and Nyoni took on that mantle in the second half as he provided a shield for the backline and kept Liverpool on the front foot with his range of passing.
Morrison’s exciting development was rewarded in May with a new four-year contract and he showed why there’s so much interest in him from English Football League clubs regarding a possible loan this season.
After being picked out by Elliott, the Northern Irishman opened the scoring inside 13 minutes when he cut inside off the right and coolly found the bottom corner.
Kieran Morrison celebrates his goal against Sunderland (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images/Reuters)
Koumas, who returned to Liverpool this summer after helping Hull City win promotion to the Premier League, was heavily involved in Szoboszlai’s goal as his neat turn and slick link up play with Kerkez created the opening. And Koumas had the final word himself late on after being picked out by Szoboszlai.
Liverpool’s pre-season is up and running. There was much to admire but Gomez’s injury and the lack of new signing remains a worry.
Liverpool line up vs Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili (Woodman 67), Frimpong (Ramsay 67), Gomez (Ndukwe 9), Ndiaye (Chambers 67), Tsimikas (Kerkez 46); Jones (Nyoni 46), McConnell (Scanlon 56); Elliott (Szoboszlai 46), Ngumoha (Koumas 46), Wright (Chiesa 46); Morrison (Abe 67).