Andoni Iraola opened his tenure as Liverpool head coach with a 4-2 victory against Sunderland on July 25, 2026, at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Kieran Morrison scored the opening goal, though the preseason win was marred by an early injury to stand-in captain Joe Gomez.
The Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool began in the intense heat of Nashville on Saturday, July 25, 2026, yielding both attacking promise and familiar defensive anxieties as the Reds defeated Sunderland 4-2 in their opening pre-season friendly. Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot at Anfield in June, deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation that put an immediate emphasis on pressing and high-tempo build-up play.
Ticket prices for the fixture at GEODIS Park ranged from $129 to $392 (£96 to £292) according to reporting from The Guardian, drawing a crowd of 24,897 spectators. Both teams arrived missing key personnel who had recently participated in international fixtures, giving younger players and summer arrivals an immediate platform to impress.
Kieran Morrison Strikes First as Youngsters Shine in Nashville
The breakthrough arrived after just 13 minutes when 19-year-old winger Kieran Morrison scored the first goal of the Iraola era. Following a fluid team move involving James McConnell, Rio Ngumoha, and Harvey Elliott, Morrison collected a pass on the right of the box and slotted a low shot into the bottom corner of Melker Ellborg’s goal.
Sunderland, coming off a seventh-place finish in their first Premier League campaign after eight years away, leveled before halftime when Enzo Le Fee struck a long-range shot past Giorgi Mamardashvili in the 28th minute.
Liverpool responded decisively after the interval. Dominik Szoboszlai leveled the score in the 56th minute by controlling a loose Sunderland clearance 22 yards out and driving a convincing finish past the goalkeeper. Federico Chiesa added a third in the 72nd minute from a tight angle following a pass from Calvin Ramsay, before Lewis Koumas sealed the 4-2 victory in the 85th minute after a first-time pass from Chiesa set up Szoboszlai to assist.
Joe Gomez Injury Deepens Defensive Concerns for Iraola
Despite the offensive output, the afternoon brought immediate trouble for Liverpool’s backline. Stand-in captain Joe Gomez was forced off with a muscle issue just eight minutes into the match, handing the captain’s armband temporarily to Kostas Tsimikas before it passed to Szoboszlai at halftime.
“We were happy because we were going through training without losing any players and unluckily for us we’ve lost Joe straight away.”
Andoni Iraola, Liverpool Head Coach, via The Guardian
The setback compounds existing depth issues in central defense.
Supporters React to Iraola-Ball and Upgraded Preseason Intensity
Liverpool supporters took to social media to share immediate encouragement over the team’s tactical shift following their first look at Iraola’s system. Fans highlighted the high-pressing approach and energetic movement across the pitch, contrasting it with the direct play and set-piece reliance that marked the closing stages of the previous campaign.
The fixture marked the first of three stops on Liverpool’s United States tour. The squad travels next to face Wrexham in New York on July 30, followed by a match against Leeds United in Chicago on August 2, before returning to Anfield for friendlies against AS Monaco and Como in August.
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