Liverpool secured a 4-2 victory over Sunderland in a pre-season friendly on July 25 at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, marking Andoni Iraola’s debut as Sunderland’s manager. The match, however, was overshadowed by an early injury to Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, who was forced off the field within the first 10 minutes.
Liverpool’s goals came from Nkerian Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas, while Sunderland’s Enzo Fee and Timur Tututierov scored in response. Iraola, reflecting on the game in an interview, acknowledged the team’s lack of freshness and fitness after recent training sessions but viewed the match as a useful benchmark for improvement. He expressed particular concern over Gomez’s injury, noting it was unfortunate to lose a key player so early in the pre-season.
The Sunderland coach also provided an update on centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who joined Liverpool after missing much of last season due to a shoulder injury. Iraola indicated the club would manage Jacquet’s playing time cautiously, anticipating his involvement in the final game of their U.S. tour to build match fitness.
Liverpool’s pre-season schedule continues with matches against Wrexham, Leeds United, Monaco, and Como before their Premier League campaign kicks off with an away fixture at Newcastle United on August 23.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur began their pre-season tour with a 2-0 win over A-League champions Auckland FC on July 26 in New Zealand. Strikers Dane Scarlett and Richarlison scored for an understrength Spurs side that rested many regular starters under coach Roberto de Zerbi. The match, played in damp conditions at Eden Park, attracted a record crowd of 40,112 spectators—the largest ever for a men’s football match in New Zealand, surpassing the previous record set in 2017.
De Zerbi confirmed that several new signings, including former West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who previously scored in a July 22 win over MK Dons, were being gradually integrated into the squad. He emphasized opportunities for younger players during the tour while indicating that key players such as Jam Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson were not yet ready for competitive action following the long journey.
One of Tottenham’s record signings, midfielder Sandro Tonvali, was not included in the squad due to a minor injury sustained before the team departed London. Tottenham will continue their tour with upcoming fixtures in Sydney against Sydney FC and Premier League rivals Chelsea as they prepare for the new season.