On the flight home from Chicago, Andoni Iraola will have plenty to consider after Liverpool’s United States tour ended with a 4-2 defeat by Leeds.
Liverpool produced arguably their best first-half performance since the Spanish manager took charge, but then suffered a dramatic collapse after the interval, conceding four unanswered goals in the space of 25 minutes.
Iraola made a series of changes at half-time and during the second half, but the alterations could not fully explain the manner of the capitulation against Daniel Farke’s side. Liverpool’s lack of squad depth and physicality was exposed, while their inexperienced defence struggled to cope with the ease with which Leeds created and converted chances.
Calvin Ramsay, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye formed part of the backline that finished the game, underlining the limited options available to Iraola. Liverpool’s problems at set-pieces were also apparent.
“We conceded two goals from set-pieces. We have to fix that and make sure we deal with them better,” said midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
The intensity Iraola demands in training was obvious during the opening 45 minutes but appeared to disappear after the break. Senior players including Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa were unable to prevent the team from losing control.
The defeat could ultimately prove useful to Iraola as he assesses his squad before the start of the season. The manager had already spoken earlier in the week about the uncertainty surrounding his group.
“I particularly hate this month of August because you start the competitions and you still don’t know if some of the players are going to leave and who’s going to come – there is a lot of uncertainty,” said Iraola.
He is due to meet Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Alisson Becker and new signing Victor Munoz at the AXA Training Centre over the coming days. Alexis Mac Allister will be the only first-team player he has yet to meet by then, having been given additional time off after Argentina’s run to the World Cup final.
Munoz, who did not play a minute during Spain’s successful World Cup campaign, will return earlier to help his integration into the squad.
Liverpool made no signings during their fortnight in the United States. That was partly because Iraola wanted to evaluate the players already at his disposal before deciding where reinforcements were needed. What happened against Leeds will now form part of those deliberations.
Even before the second-half collapse, Iraola knew there was little time to waste with the new season approaching. His starting line-up reflected that urgency, with Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both selected against Leeds despite concerns that the condition of the pitch could make their involvement a risk.
The inclusion of the two players, who cost a combined £225m last summer, added considerable star quality to a match in Chicago, a city hosting the Lollapalooza Festival and Major League Baseball series between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.
Liverpool’s first half was the strongest of their tour. Isak looked sharp on his return, while Wirtz scored as Liverpool pressed Leeds aggressively and moved the ball with confidence.
Their opening goal came from an unexpected source. Luke Chambers spent the second half of last season on loan at Charlton Athletic, but Liverpool’s centre-half shortage led to him moving inside during the previous friendly against Wrexham. After impressing Iraola in New York, he retained his place against Leeds and struck firmly from inside the box in the seventh minute, following a touch from Milos Kerkez on Szoboszlai’s corner.
Rio Ngumoha created problems from his preferred position on the left, while 19-year-old Trey Nyoni continued an impressive pre-season with another composed display.
Nyoni helped create Liverpool’s second goal in the 40th minute when he floated a pass across to Jeremie Frimpong. Frimpong cut the ball back for Wirtz, who finished a fine team move that also involved Isak.
The midfielder has been linked with a loan move this summer, but his performances suggest he could remain with Liverpool and receive more first-team opportunities during the 2025-26 season.
Nyoni made only 229 minutes of football appearances in 2025-26, yet Iraola has spoken highly of his ability, particularly his confidence in possession and willingness to play directly.
