Video: an entertaining four-goal haul and a worrying injury: what did Iraola learn from his first test with Liverpool?

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A perfect start and an early headache

Liverpool began their new era under Spanish manager Andoni Iraola with a thrilling 4-2 win over Sunderland. The friendly carried plenty of positives going forward, but it also exposed a worrying defensive crisis early on after Joe Gomez limped off just minutes after kick-off.

Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Luis Comas scored the goals, in a match that saw a number of young talents shine and several tactical messages from the new manager.

The worst possible scenario greeted Iraola. Gomez, who started as captain and centre-back, suffered an injury that forced him off in the eighth minute.

Iraola summed it up afterwards: "Perhaps the worst news was Joe's early injury. We were happy that we went through training without losing any player, but unfortunately we lost Joe very early."

Problems at the back only grew with the continued absence of new arrival Jeremie Frimpong, who did not take part in the team's opening match of their tour in the United States, according to the "BBC".

Explaining the decision, the manager said: "We decided to be cautious with Jeremie's situation. He has been away from the pitch for several months, and although he is training well, we do not want to rush him back. He is likely to feature in the final match of the tour and get some minutes."

With Virgil van Dijk given additional rest following his participation with the Netherlands at the World Cup, Iraola leaned on a young pairing in the heart of defence until the 68th minute.

Mour Talla Ndiaye (18 years old) and Ifeyania Ndukwe (18 years old) both made their first appearance in the shirt, and both performed well despite the difficult circumstances. Relying on them regularly, though, does not appear to be on the table at present.

Giovanni Leoni (19 years old), meanwhile, continues his rehabilitation programme individually as part of his recovery from a serious anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

Iraola had already flagged a "severe numerical shortage" at centre-back, and the match laid it bare.

Sporting director Richard Hughes watched on in Nashville, and the sight of Gomez leaving the pitch injured surely confirmed to him the scale of the crisis at the position.

Going forward, Liverpool put on an enjoyable display in Nashville, twice overturning a deficit during the match.

Some of the squad had toured Nashville's famous "Broadway" area on Friday evening, and it seems Szoboszlai drew some inspiration from its atmosphere. He came on at the start of the second half wearing the captain's armband, then rifled a superb strike from outside the box to level the score at 2-2.

Szoboszlai's goal came after Sunderland had gone ahead twice through Enzo Le Fee and Timur Tutierov.

Harvey Elliott also stood out on his first game back at the club following a spell with Aston Villa, teeing up the opening goal for Kieran Morrison.

Morrison (19 years old) proved his great potential, finishing skilfully with his left foot after a fine burst down the right flank. The Northern Ireland international kept producing throughout, causing constant problems for Sunderland's defence.

Liverpool need to strengthen out wide after Mohamed Salah's departure. Morrison sent a strong message that he can be an important option in the first-team squad if he stays this summer rather than leaving on loan.

Iraola never stopped instructing his players, and features of his high-pressing style came through. Conceding twice, however, showed that the defensive work still needs a great deal of development.

Le Fee found himself unmarked and shot freely past Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Liverpool's defence looked badly exposed in the build-up to Tutierov's second.

In front of more than 24,897 spectators, the majority of them Liverpool supporters, Chiesa restored his team's lead with the third goal after a fine pass from Calvin Ramsay, sparking wild celebrations from the fans.

Comas wrapped up the festival of goals with the fourth, confirming the Reds' superiority.

That fourth goal came from an attack that offered a distinctive glimpse of English talent Josh Abbey, who turned sixteen just a few days ago and made his first appearance with the first team in the second half.

The youngster showed great potential, confirming that he is one of the most prominent talents the club is counting on for the future.

Liverpool returned to their camp in Chicago with the win, but they know this is only the beginning.

Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch have already arrived in the "Windy City" and are set to join training from Sunday.

Iraola made clear afterwards that the result was not his primary goal: "The result is not the most important thing. What matters is that we keep pressing, and that we do not get used to playing comfortably, as there are still many aspects that need improvement."

Next up for Liverpool is Wrexham in New York on Thursday, while Sunderland face Leeds United at the "Sports Illustrated" Stadium in New Jersey on the same day.