Liverpool faced off against Sunderland in their first pre-season friendly tour at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. This was Liverpool’s first game under Andoni Iraola, the Bournemouth coach who replaced Arne Slot at the club.
With a new manager, there was an introduction of a new structure and tactics. A 31 man squad travelled to the United States for the pre-season tour, and 22 players were featured in the game against Sunderland, which the Reds secured a 4:2 victory.
Here is a breakdown of the performance delivered by every Liverpool player and the best rating to go with it;
Also read: The Iraola Era Begins with a Bang: 3 Things Fans Missed in the Sunderland Win
Attack
Kieran Morrison (7): The 19 year year old opened the scoring for the Reds, as he cut in from the left and curled in the ball to deliver a clean finish into the far corner of the goal. He had a standout performance throughout the entire game and is currently making headlines.
Still well composed in the second half, even when Liverpool was behind. Almost got an assist with his dangerous cross across the goal for Calcum Scanlon. His performance was a statement and could earn him a role in Irola’s game plan for the season.
Will Wright (4): It was not the best night for the young English striker. He was criticized mid game by Curtis Jones for not pressing hard enough. Clearly it was a frustrating night; he was later substituted out at the start of the second half in the 46th minute.
Rio Ngumoha (6): Only featured in the first half of the game, but gave that direct and dangerous attacking which he is known for. However, barely made much impact in the game as Sunderland’s defensive pairing of Hume and Mukiele on the left wing kept him out for the first half of the game.
Midfield
Curtis Jones (3): Statistics showed him as Liverpool’s worst player on the pitch against Sunderland, looked distracted the entire match, not matching the rhythm of the game. Contributed poorly during attack and during defence, given the manager’s clue that the midfield needs a senior player to organise things.
Harvey Elliott (5): His major contribution yesterday was his assist to Morrison in the build-up of the first goal. Beyond that assist, he did less in the midfield as well, but credit should be given to his recoveries and ability to distribute accurate passes.
James McConnell (4): The young midfielder had a difficult evening, as he continuously lost passes in very dangerous areas. He directly contributed to Sunderland’s equaliser in the 28th minute after giving the ball away to Enzo Le Fee. Aside from the error, he still struggled with his composure throughout the first and early second half before being substituted.
Defence
Giorgi Mamardashvili (6): Perfectly filled in the place of Alisson Becker with a spectacular performance, producing a smart low save at the edge of the box when the scoreline was 1:1. Eventually, he conceded two goals, which came at tight corners and were almost impossible to save.
Jeremie Frimpong (5): Started the first half looking shaky from the right side; on many occasions caught off position, giving the Sunderland attacker an edge to progress towards Liverpool’s goal area. He adjusted in the second half and showed better involvement in the attack line. However, he remains an unsolved problem for Liverpool ahead of the new season.
Joe Gomez (N/A): He was Liverpool’s captain against Sunderland, which says a lot about his standing at the club at the moment amidst his injury crisis. He spent just 8 minutes on the field before being pulled out with what looks like a muscle problem. Gomez becomes the second player out injured during this pre-season campaign after Liverpool’s new signing, Jeremy Jacquet.
Mor Talla Ndiaye (5): His first-ever senior appearance for Liverpool was unsteady in the first 25 minutes of the game, giving away possessions in dangerous areas that led to Sunderland being offered free kicks. Settle in better later in the game and showed more comfort with the ball.
Kostas Tsimikas (5): He didn’t produce much attacking-wise, but was not exposed defensively either. Got the responsibility of the captain after Gomez was pulled out injured; with no sense of argument, did a good job as the squad captain. His experience was well displayed and made the backline steady even against a side like Sunderland.
Substitutes
Ifeanyi Ndukwe (6): The young Austrian was thrown in earlier than expected to cover in for Joe Gomez, who was out injured; definitely a tough task and serious pressure for the defender to handle. He was composed with the ball, but let Tutierov slip through him for Sunderland’s second goal.
Milos Kerkez (6): Came in for Tsimikas in the 46th minute with a rush of energy needed for the left side of the attack. Influenced the game tempo and played an important role in the build-up of the equaliser scored by Szoboszlai.
Trey Nyoni (6): Gave the Reds more control of the midfield after replacing Curtis Jones in the central midfield position. Played more progressively and delivered a calm influence that helped Liverpool bounce back after going down 2:1.
Dominik Szoboszlai (8): Obviously had a man of the match performance with one goal and an assist, helping Liverpool successfully dominate Sunderland. He looked sharper and more dangerous than any other player on the pitch. Clearly showing the difference between a first-team player and an academy player.
Lewis Kouman (7): He brought a better energy to the game than Wright did in the first half, although his touches and finishing did not yield the intended result from the start. In the 85th minute of the game, he utilised a pass from Szoboszlai and added his name to the scoresheet.
Federico Chiesa (7): He slowly got more involved with the game after coming in, but found his rhythm and should be given credit for his composure and technique in how he finished Liverpool’s third goal. He played more from the middle rather than wide, maybe given the manager’s hint of the position that would suit him in the coming season.
Calum Scanlon (6): Played from the midfield completely off his natural position as a left back. Regardless, he looked more lively, and almost got the best of Morrison’s cross in the second half. His influence was well noticed as he always caused problems to the Sunderland side when he had the ball.
Joe Abe (5): The 16 years years old had his special moment as he had his first ever taste of senior football. He maturely controlled the ball, and even played a role in the build-up of Chiesa’s goal. Indeed, an exciting player to look forward to.
Calvin Ramsay (7): Ramsay’s performance against Sunderland raised eyebrows about whether he could become Liverpool’s first-choice right back ahead of the 2026/2027 season. He delivered the perfect cross for Chiesa’s goal, which was a standout moment for him. Obviously, if he can pull off such a performance consistently, he could claim a first-team spot.
Luke Chambers (4): Nothing to praise on his path, and also nothing to criticise as well. He had a quiet, low-intensity performance at the centre-back position. He replaced Ndiaye at a time when the pressure from Sunderland was down.
Freddie Woodman (5): Replaced Mamardashvili in the second half and had one save. Clearly, he also came in after the intensity from Sunderland was reduced and Liverpool was having the better side of the game until the final whistle.
