CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's players line-up for a team group photograph before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Back row (L-R): goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, Trey Nyoni, Luke Chambers, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, captain Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexander Isak. Front row (L-R): Florian Wirtz, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's players line-up for a team group photograph before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Back row (L-R): goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, Trey Nyoni, Luke Chambers, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, captain Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexander Isak. Front row (L-R): Florian Wirtz, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool ended their US tour with defeat, going from 2-0 up to concede four in the final half an hour after a series of subs – exposing how weak the squad currently is.
Liverpool 2-4 Leeds
Pre-Season Friendly (3) | Soldier Field | August 2, 2026
Goals
Chambers 7′ (assist: Kerkez)
Wirtz 40′ (assist: Frimpong)
Aaronson 60′
Calvert-Lewin 72′
Longstaff 73′
Calvert-Lewin 85′
First glimpse into the downsides of Iraola chaos… but remember the alternative
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
For me, the most interesting thing about this game wasn’t the scoreline, or the collapse. It was the sound of Iraola on the touchline.
The proximity of the microphones meant you could hear him shouting his instructions, encouraging risks and demanding his players to be brave on the ball.
Every time someone tried a dangerous pass, he barked “YES” – even if it went straight to a Leeds shirt. If a centre?back hesitated, he could be heard urging them to carry it (as a side note, Joel Matip would’ve won the Ballon d’Or under Iraola).
Listening in showed us exactly the football he wants: invite pressure, take risks, play without fear.
But for the first time, we also saw the downside of this approach. Kerkez’s needless mistake for Leeds’ first goal was very telling, and it triggered a 30-minute meltdown that turned a comfortable 2–0 into a 4–2 defeat.
It’s early days. This might be the first basketball match gone wrong of the Iraola era, and it definitely won’t be the last. If we learnt anything from Iraola’s time at Bournemouth, it’s that chaos is part of the deal.
But after a year of apathy under Slot, I’ll take Iraola every time.
Wirtz and Isak return to offer glimpse of life under Iraola
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz celebrates with team-mate Ifeanyi Ndukwe (R) after scoring the second goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz celebrates with team-mate Ifeanyi Ndukwe (R) after scoring the second goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
After two matches and two very youthful-looking Liverpool sides in pre-season, Iraola finally had the chance to flex his muscles with more Reds available for selection after the World Cup.
Florian Wirtz marked his return to the side with a positive first-half cameo, capping off a bright display with a lovely goal, slotting home a lovely cushioned cross from Frimpong.
But as the former Leverkusen pair showed signs of rekindling the kind of form that earned them their big-money moves to Anfield, the return of Alexander Isak felt more significant.
Despite costing £250 million, Isak and Wirtz only shared the pitch for just 618 minutes last season. Therefore, it was just nice to see the duo play together – if only briefly.
Wirtz did at least form an effective partnership with Hugo Ekitike, with the pair combining for 6 goals last term. With the Frenchman still facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Wirtz will be hoping to build a similarly telepathic relationship with the Swede.
Toshack and Keegan. Dalglish and Rush. Gerrard and Torres. Wirtz and Isak? With the money we paid, you’d certainly hope so. This is a fresh start.
Trey Nyoni continues to impress
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Trey Nyoni during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Trey Nyoni during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The game also marked the return of Ryan Gravenberch, but this was somewhat overshadowed by another terrific display from Trey Nyoni.
The 19-year-old was doing everything Iraola wants from his midfielders; dropping into defence to help progress the ball, bursting forward to link up with the forwards. He was influential in the second goal too, floating a Gerrard-esque pass into Frimpong.
A calming influence in midfield, Nyoni only played for 51 minutes but completed the second-most passes of anyone on the pitch, and completed 95 percent of them.
Not to oversimplify things in a pre-season friendly, but it feels like more than a coincidence that the game turned on its head after the youngster left the field.
At the moment, it looks like Liverpool’s midfield three consists of Dominik Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Wirtz. But Nyoni will definitely keep those three, plus an underperforming Alexis Mac Allister, on their toes.
Liverpool’s set-piece hangover
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili reacts to conceding the third goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili reacts to conceding the third goal during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
If two things sent a shudder down the spine of any Liverpool fan last season, they were long balls and long throws.
Liverpool conceded more goals (20) from set pieces in the Premier League last season – and the team that conceded the next most was Bournemouth. Gulp.
Many will grimace upon hearing that the Reds shipped two more against Leeds in Chicago.
In a case of déjà vu from Arne Slot’s woes, Leeds had a throw in a dangerous area twice. Both times the first ball was lost. Both times Liverpool were beaten to the flick-on. Both times Leeds scored.
To be fair, Iraola had made the usual raft of changes in the second half before Leeds turned things around. Plus, Liverpool were still missing the aerial presence of Virgil van Dijk. But at the same time, beyond the skipper, we don’t have much height in the team.
Not reading too much into it. The scoreline doesn’t matter. But I’d really prefer it if that didn’t happen.
Liverpool leave unscathed after pitch concerns
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool players (L-R) Stefan Bajcetic, Giovanni Leoni, Freddie Woodman, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez, Wataru End? and Hugo Ekitike before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Perhaps the main thing Iraola will take from the last stop of our American tour is that his team left with no more injuries.
As a multi-purpose stadium, the pitch had already been battered by a season of NFL with the Chicago Bears and a raft of summer concerts. Not to mention Chicago Fire hosted Charlotte FC in MLS just 20 hours before this game kicked off.
It’s safe to say that, after all that, the playing surface was hardly a carpet.
Taking the state of the pitch into consideration, it is a miracle no one got injured – for Liverpool, anyway. And, after losing Joe Gomez just eight minutes into the first game in the States, Iraola will be mightily relieved.
Jeremie Frimpong did give us a bit of a scare, signalling to come off near the 70-minute mark. But he’s fine. Probably.
After sweating over the conditions at Soldier Field, Liverpool leave Chicago with all of their soldiers intact.
Liverpool 2-4 Leeds: Match Facts
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Frimpong (Scanlon 77′), Ndukwe, Chambers (Ndiaye 68′), Kerkez (Tsimikas 68′); Szoboszlai (Elliott 68′), Nyoni (Gravenberch 46′); Morrison (Ramsay 68′), Wirtz (Jones 46′), Ngumoha (Koumas 46′); Isak (Chiesa 46′)
Subs not used: Woodman, Davies, McConnell, Abe, Sonni-Lambie, Wright
Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool FC v Leeds United FC
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong walks off injured during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool FC v Leeds United FC
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)