Iraola’s Liverpool Start Shows Promise, but Fitness Concerns Remain

Liverpool opened the Andoni Iraola era with a 4-2 win over Sunderland in their preseason opener on Saturday, a result that offered early encouragement and a few familiar concerns.

The Reds struck first in a move that summed up Iraola’s approach, moving from deep to the final third in only four passes. James McConnell was involved in the build-up before Kieran Morrison finished neatly into the far corner after cutting in from the right.

After the restart, though, Jeremie Frimpong was caught in possession near his own penalty area and Sunderland punished the mistake through Timur Tuterov. Liverpool responded quickly, with Dominik Szoboszlai levelling less than 10 minutes later after collecting a rebound and drilling a strike from outside the area past Melker Ellborg.

From there, Liverpool took control. Federico Chiesa added the third, and Lewis Koumas completed the scoring late on. The final goal was another example of the vertical, direct pattern Iraola wants, with the ball moved quickly from midfield into a dangerous attacking position before Koumas finished calmly.

There was plenty of evidence of a side trying to press high and recover the ball aggressively, but the risks of that approach were also exposed. When the press was bypassed, Liverpool could be opened up in transition, and Sunderland found space to create their second goal.

One of the biggest negatives came early when Joe Gomez went down with an apparent muscular issue and had to be withdrawn. He has continued to struggle with availability, having played just over 2,000 minutes across the last two seasons and missed more than 30 games through injury. He was replaced by 18-year-old Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

With several senior players still away or only just returning to fitness, the match also gave younger players a chance to stand out. Morrison impressed alongside Rio Ngumoha, while McConnell was influential before his costly turnover. Trey Nyoni was perhaps the most eye-catching after the break, leading the match in defensive contributions and chance creation.

It was not a flawless start, but it was a clear one.