Andoni Iraola kicked off his Liverpool reign with a 4-2 win against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday â so what did we learn in the new Reds head coachâs first outing in charge?
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It already seemed a risk going into the new season having Jeremy Jacquet, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni as contenders to be captain Virgil van Dijkâs centre-back partner given the fitness doubts over the trio.
For a start, Leoni is still âmonthsâ away from recovering from the season-ending ACL he suffered on his Reds debut last September having only joined the club from Parma last summer.
Jacquet has also recently returned from a shoulder injury that he sustained just days after agreeing to join Liverpool in February. He then missed the win over Sunderland due to a minor knock.
All of which meant the injury-prone Gomez started and captained the team in Tennessee, with the long-serving defender lasting all of 10 minutes before being forced off in what Iraola called âthe worst newsâ of the day.
And while it looked to be no more than a muscle problem for the 29-year-old, it was also a reminder that Liverpool cannot rely on Gomez to stay fit for an extended period of time and so need to go into the market to sign another defender before the summer window shuts on September 1.
Reds fans should enjoy Iraola-ball more than Slot-ball
It was the chorus of boos that rang out around Anfield at the end of his sideâs tepid draw with Chelsea in May that signalled Arne Slotâs time was up as Liverpool head coach.
It came just 12 months after the Dutchman had held the Premier League trophy aloft in front of an ecstatic Kop. But the slow, possession-heavy style of football, with the ball endlessly shuffled from one flank to the other, combined with a downturn in results, had turned the home fans against him.
His successor favours a different type of football, however, explaining his vision in his first press conference as Liverpool head coach as this: âI want my team to be energetic. I want to be dynamic, to play in the opposition half as much as we can, sometimes on the ball, sometimes without the ball, and try to suffocate the opposition.â
And while it is impossible to make any firm conclusions after one 90-minute runout using 22 players, there were certainly glimpses of this in Nashville, especially for the Redsâ first and last goals.
In fact, Kieran Morrisonâs 13th-minute opener came after a free-flowing move involving some impressive build-up play from the likes of James McConnell, Rio Ngumoha and Harvey Elliott, while Lewis Koumasâs late strike came about after some excellent counter-pressing.
Szoboszlai still Liverpoolâs most dynamic and important midfielder
There is a reason Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and the club were so keen to tie Dominik Szoboszlai down to a new five-year contract, and the midfielderâs all-action second-half display at the Nashville SC Stadium just emphasised once again what a vital cog he is in the Reds machine.
It is not just the 25-year-oldâs ability to score from range, which he did again with an unstoppable volley to bring his side level, but also the example he sets in the middle of the park with his incredible pressing game that his new boss favours.
As mentioned, Iraola has âalways loved gegenpressing and the German coaches,â as he told The Times, so expect the versatile Szoboszlai â who also created a goal for Koumas on Saturday â to be a key component of his three-man midfield.
Iraola wonât be afraid to give young guns a chance
One criticism of Slot was he appeared not to trust Liverpoolâs young players during his time on Merseyside, especially exciting England forward Rio Ngumoha, a charge that is unlikely to be levelled against his replacement.
Iraola, maybe through necessity at times, was never afraid to give youngsters a go at Bournemouth, so do not be surprised if we see the likes of Trey Nyoni, Koumas, Morrison and James McConnell in first-team action next season.
That quartet all impressed against Sunderland, especially England U20 international Nyoni and his Wales counterpart Koumas, who both caught the eye in the second half, the former with a calm and composed display in midfield and the latter with an energetic performance in attack.
âFirst outing a good starting point â but still lots to improveâ
For a first pre-season runout, Iraola could not really â Gomezâs untimely injury apart â have asked for much more.
The Basque got off to a winning start as Reds boss, which always helps breed confidence and trust in the new man, although ultimately the result was immaterial and more important were miles in the playersâ legs and the squad beginning to understand the 44-year-oldâs ideas.
âItâs the first day,â said Iraola after the game. âYou could feel the heavy legs, the players have been training. So, we lacked some freshness. But it will give us a good starting point to improve things.â
And, of course, the Reds were without their World Cup contingent, who apart from finalists Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz, will now join up with the rest of the Redsâ travelling party on Sunday.
âThey are already there in Chicago,â he added. âThey are waiting for us. Alex [Isak], Flo [Wirtz] and Ryan [Gravenberch]. They will start training from tomorrow [Sunday] with us and we still have two more games [in the USA].
âI hope we use them properly and we go [forward] improving slowly, slowly the things that today didnât work.â
Liverpoolâs 2026/27 Premier League fixtures
All fixtures subject to change.
August
23: Newcastle (a) â 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
29: Nottingham Forest (h) â 12.30pm
September
5: Ipswich (a) â 8pm, live on Sky Sports
12: Fulham (h) â 3pm
19: Bournemouth (a) â 2pm, live on Sky Sports
October
10: Man City (h) â 3pm
(c) Sky Sports 2026: Andoni Iraola: What we learnt in Liverpool head coachâs first game in charge against Sunderland