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Liverpool maintained their perfect record under new manager Andoni Iraola as they beat Wrexham 1–0 during his second match in charge.
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The penultimate game on Liverpool’s U.S. tour was hardly a blockbuster and certainly lacked the goal-mouth action seen in the previous 4–2 win over Sunderland. Rio Ngumoha scored the only goal at Yankee Stadium, with the youngster’s heavily deflected effort arriving in the 75th minute.
But preseason is about performances rather than results and there was plenty to intrigue Iraola. Still without a large cohort of first-team players, a makeshift and youthful side did their new manager proud in New York.
Here are three things we learned from a hard-fought win for the Reds.
The Kids Are Alright
Yet again, Liverpool fielded an inexperienced lineup. Iraola had no choice, with his current options limited to say the least, and the Spaniard selected just three players in his XI that were over the age of 22.
Of those who started, Trey Nyoni stood out. After a silky performance against Sunderland, the 19-year-old holding midfielder once again exhibited his composure and technical class as he helped Liverpool control the tempo in the middle of the park. Work must be done on his physicality and intensity out of possession, but he’s undeniably gifted on the ball.
18-year-old center half Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who replaced the injured Joe Gomez against Sunderland, was very impressive, too. Commanding and level-headed, he looked right at home alongside center back partner Luke Chambers. Unfortunately for Iraola, the Austrian defender can’t play for Liverpool next season due to work permit issues.
Lewis Koumas, who scored against Sunderland, also buzzed around with intensity in the final third, as did Calum Scanlon in a more advanced role than he’s used to.
The second half brought more youthful reinforcements. Ngumoha made the difference with his goal, but there were encouraging cameos for Kieran Morrison and James McConnell as well-both of whom caught the eye in Iraola’s first match.
Harvey Elliott Handed Second Chance
Describing Harvey Elliott’s loan spell with Aston Villa as disastrous would be an understatement. The attacking midfielder was frozen out by Unai Emery after struggling to make a positive impression, with Villa aware that Elliott would be signed permanently after making 10 appearances. As a result, he played just nine times.
Arne Slot was never an Elliott enthusiast, but Iraola’s arrival marks a fresh start for the 23-year-old. For the second match running, he started as the attacking midfielder in his manager’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
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Having provided an assist in his 45-minute showing against Sunderland, Elliott oozed confidence again on Wednesday. A delightful through ball for 16-year-old Josh Abe (we’ll get to him) should have resulted in an assist just three minutes into proceedings, and ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward then denied him a comeback goal shortly after the restart with a smart save.
Elliott certainly hasn’t damaged his reputation during this summer’s friendly action.
The Right Wing Conundrum
Liverpool’s issues in the right wing position have been well documented since Mohamed Salah’s exit. The club have already signed yet another left winger in Victor Muñoz and are determined to recruit Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, who again prefers operating on the left flank.
Iraola already has Cody Gakpo and Ngumoha on the left-hand side, while Federico Chiesa and Florian Wirtz can also feature there. Options, meanwhile, remain thin on the opposite wing.
16-year-old Abe was selected for the first half against Wrexham, the precocious academy talent renowned for his blistering speed and quick feet. He probably should have scored his first goal for the senior side early in the match, after which his impact was relatively limited.
Iraola called upon Ngumoha after the break as he trialled the teenager on the right-hand side. The experiment certainly worked to a degree, with Ngumoha providing the game’s sole goal from that side of the field, but he completed just one of his four attempted dribbles and managed just two touches in the Wrexham box.
Ngumoha should get another opportunity in the role during preseason, but Liverpool still have a problem to solve moving forward.
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