Andoni Iraola's First Liverpool Match Delivers Goal-Filled Pre-Season Victory

First Half

Liverpool started the game with a side mixed with experience and youth prospects, with senior players such as Mamardashvili, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Jeremie Frimpong.

There were also inclusions from the start for the returning duo of Kostas Tsimikas and Harvey Elliott, while Iraola also gave opportunities to impress young stars such as Rio Ngumoha, Kieran Morrison and Will Wright.

The Reds came up against a strong Sunderland side in the first half, who had already played a pre-season game themselves before their trip over to the US.

The game started with a disappointing sight that has unfortunately become a regular occurrence for LFC fans: Joe Gomez picking up an injury of some sort within the first 10 minutes of the game.

But a slight positive will be the fact that Gomez walked off the pitch unaided and was replaced by Austrian defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe, so Iraola will hope it was just a knock Joe Gomez has picked up.

However, given the already limited number of players he has available in his backline with everyone fit, and with Jeremy Jacquet being kept out of this fixture through precaution, losing Joe Gomez significantly reduces LFC's defensive numbers in the short-term.

Following Gomez's departure, Liverpool hit the front quickly as in the 13th minute a lovely move from Liverpool's own penalty box up to the Sunderland one where Harvey Elliott laid the ball off to Kieran Morrison who chopped inside and found the far corner to give the Reds the lead in Nashville.

Sunderland would strike back just before the half an hour mark after Liverpool's James McConnell loses the ball in the centre of the pitch, Sunderland countered quickly with the ball at Enzo Le fee's feet who drove at the heart of the Liverpool defence and rifled in a shot from 25 yards out into the top corner, giving Mamardashvilli no chance and bringing the game level at 1-1 going into half time.

Second Half

The half-time break saw the introduction of senior players such as Milos Kerkez, Federico Chiesa and, fresh off his new contract at the club, Dominik Szoboszlai, as well as young players given a chance to impress, such as Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas. 

And just like Liverpool did in the first half, Sunderland were the side to start the second half the quickest.

They managed to capitalise on a slip from Jeremie Frimpong; the ball was played to the edge of the box to Sunderland's Jaydon Jones, who played a pass through to youth striker Timur Tuterov, who finished through the legs of Mamardashvili to put the Black Cats 2-1 up five minutes into the second half.

Liverpool would then try to take control of the game, keeping hold of the ball and moving it around the pitch with growing confidence.

Then, a move from the left-hand side between Lewis Koumas and Milos Kerkez led to the Hungarian getting to the byline, putting a ball towards the penalty spot, which Sunderland initially cleared until the ball fell to Dominik Szoboszlai on the edge of the box, who, like he so often has done, unleashed a thunderous hit into the bottom left half of the Sunderland goal to bring the game back level.

Then, at around the hour mark of the game, Andoni Iraola rang the changes as is common practice in pre-season, and players such as Josh Abe, Calum Scanlon, Luke Chambers, Freddie Woodman and Calvin Ramsay all took to the field.

Shortly after these changes, a ball was played through by Calvin Ramsay to Federico Chiesa, who finished coolly into the far corner from a tight angle and put Liverpool back into the lead in this pre-season fixture 3-2.

Liverpool retained this control through the rest of the second half, which was emphasised by Lewis Koumas' late goal for Liverpool after a sharp sequence of passes between Chiesa and Szoboszlai, which was finished confidently in the box by Koumas to make the scoreline 4-2 and put the game beyond Sunderland.

Where Next for The Reds?

Liverpool will now travel to New York City as they take on Championship side Wrexham at Yankee Stadium on July 30th.