Liverpool opens Iraola era with victory over Sunderland despite Gomez injury
The Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool commenced with a victory against Sunderland in Nashville, though the match also highlighted defensive concerns for the new head coach. The early departure of Joe Gomez due to injury, just 10 minutes into the game, placed immediate scrutiny on Liverpool’s defensive options.
Liverpool’s attack, however, showed strength against Régis Le Bris‘s Sunderland side. Goals in the second half from Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas secured a comfortable win for Liverpool.
Defensive Concerns Emerge Early
Iraola acknowledged Gomez’s injury as the primary negative from the match. He expressed disappointment at losing a player so early in the preseason, especially after the team had managed to avoid injuries during initial training sessions.
The injury to Gomez forced Liverpool to field a central defense composed of two 18-year-olds, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who were recruited in January. This situation further stretched Iraola’s defensive resources, which he had previously described as “very thin.”
Kostas Tsimikas initially took over the captain’s armband from Gomez before passing it to Szoboszlai when he was substituted at halftime. The reliance on young defenders like Ndiaye, a £1m signing from Amitie, and Ndukwe, a £2.5m transfer from Austria Vienna, reflects Liverpool’s strategy of investing in central defenders for the future.
However, the immediate defensive needs remain. With Ibrahima Konate having departed for Real Madrid, Giovanni Leoni still recovering from an ACL injury, and Jeremy Jacquet yet to be tested in the Premier League, the defensive responsibilities on Virgil van Dijk are expected to be substantial in the upcoming season.
Goals and Absences
The first goal of the Iraola era for Liverpool was scored by Kieran Morrison, a 19-year-old winger. Morrison, playing on the right side, converted a pass from Harvey Elliott into the far corner of Melker Ellborg‘s goal.
Sunderland responded with an equalizer from Enzo Le Fée, who scored from 25 yards. Sunderland then took the lead when Jaydon Jones set up Timur Tutierov, who scored from 12 yards.
Szoboszlai leveled the score for Liverpool with a finish from 22 yards. Chiesa then put Liverpool ahead with a shot from Calvin Ramsay‘s pass, and Koumas, assisted by Szoboszlai, secured the victory.
Both teams had several players absent from the friendly. Sunderland was without Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey, and summer signing Thomas Meunier. Liverpool’s absentee list included World Cup finalists Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz, along with Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Ryan Gravenberch, who are scheduled to join the tour the following week. Van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and Alisson are also set to resume preseason training next week on Merseyside.
Summer signing Jacquet, acquired for an initial £55m from Rennes, was held out as a precaution but is expected to feature before the tour concludes against Leeds in Chicago the following Sunday. Iraola explained that they are taking it easy with Jacquet due to his lack of playing time in recent months, but he will get minutes in the final match of the US tour.
The match was held at Geodis Park, which has a capacity of 30,000, though the official attendance was recorded as 24,897. Before kick-off, a tribute was paid to the late Kevin Keegan, with both sets of supporters applauding and observing a period of silence.
Source: theguardian.com
