Iraola's Debut: Liverpool Sink Sunderland 4-2, But At What Cost?

Liverpool's new gaffer got his start at Anfield, and credit where it's due: his lads clawed back from a 2-1 half-time hole to absolutely dominate in Nashville.

Kieran Morrison got the ball rolling after just 13 minutes, a smooth team move paying off. Sunderland, naturally, couldn't just roll over. They fired one in from long range to level things, then snatched the lead early in the second half. That's when Liverpool finally woke up. Dominik Szoboszlai blasted a volley home from the left wing to square it. Then Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas piled on with two more strikes, sealing the 4-2 victory. Sky Sports confirmed the damage.

Now, the performance itself? Iraola must have been pleased enough. His team cooked up some genuinely flashy chances. They looked like a different outfit after the break, much better. And there was enough tactical flexing — especially with those subs — to suggest a coherent squad is actually starting to take shape. Getting all 22 players some proper minutes in that Nashville heat? Smart. You need bodies moving.

But here's the kicker. The actual headline. Joe Gomez, captain for the day, their stand-in leader, hobbled off early. Looked like a muscle strain. That's just what you want, right? A key defender sidelined when the season is lurking just around the corner. Injuries in that backline could absolutely kill their campaign before it even starts. Next up, Liverpool face Wrexham, then Leeds in the preseason grind before the real games kick off.

So, a winning debut for Iraola? Yeah, but it certainly highlighted exactly where Liverpool are vulnerable.