Andoni Iraola's first match as Liverpool manager ended in victory, but it also brought an early setback. The Reds defeated Sunderland 4-2 in their opening preseason friendly in Nashville, yet the match was overshadowed by an injury to experienced defender Joe Gomez.

The 29-year-old England international was forced off the field before the 10-minute mark after suffering an apparent physical problem. Young defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe replaced him while the score was still 0-0.

After the match, Iraola admitted that Gomez's injury was the biggest disappointment of an otherwise positive evening.

"Probably the worst news was Joe's sudden injury. We were pleased because we had completed the entire preseason without losing any players. Unfortunately, we lost Joe very early," the Spanish coach said in comments published by the club.

Liverpool eventually secured an entertaining 4-2 victory. Kieran Morrison opened the scoring before Sunderland responded through Enzo Le Fée and Timur Tuterov to briefly take the lead. However, goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas completed the comeback and handed Iraola a successful debut.

Despite the result, the former Bournemouth manager emphasized that there is still significant work to be done before the new season begins.

"It was only our first game. You could see the players were carrying heavy preseason legs, and we lacked freshness at times. Still, it gives us a solid starting point to improve different aspects of our play," Iraola explained.

Liverpool's immediate focus will now be on determining the severity of Joe Gomez's injury as the club prepares for the 2026-27 campaign.

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