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Liverpool made their home debut at Anfield this Saturday for the first time this preseason, but it was yet another warm-up fixture that ended in a concerning loss for Andoni Iraola.
Quick strikes from Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz gave the Reds a 2–0 advantage within the opening half hour. However, Monaco pulled one back before the break through Aleksandar Golovin, before the scores were equalized early in the second period by Mika Biereth.
A 2–2 draw appeared to be the likely outcome, until Monaco grabbed a dramatic late winner through Paris Brunner, netting from a corner kick with just two minutes of normal time remaining.
There were plenty of positives and a fair share of negatives for Liverpool, with Iraola able to name a starting lineup much closer to what we can expect when the new Premier League campaign kicks off in a fortnight compared to the recent tour of the United States.
There are still absences that provide some context to the result, but improvements will need to come sooner rather than later.
Wirtz, Isak Era Begins
A year behind schedule, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may finally be heralding a new chapter at Liverpool. Brought in through back-to-back club record transfers last summer, neither enjoyed the debut season at Anfield they had envisioned—Isak especially.
Accustomed to being the central figure at Bayer Leverkusen, Wirtz never appeared fully comfortable sharing the pitch with Mohamed Salah, but now has the chance to flourish in what appears to be a refreshed system under Iraola's direction.
He has now contributed two goals across 105 minutes of preseason football. His strike was a scrappy finish in a congested six-yard box, but he showed a willingness to shoot and was tenacious in his individual battles. Arne Slot never truly unlocked Wirtz's potential last season, but Iraola already appears determined not to make the same errors.
As for Isak, his composed 16th-minute finish was a joy to watch, rounding off a slick team move, and is precisely what supporters had been hoping to witness throughout last season. Poor physical condition heading into 2025–26 followed by a broken leg meant he was never close to his peak, but a ruthless display here strongly hints that 2026–27 will be a very different story.
It has been some time since a Liverpool No. 9 genuinely troubled opposition defenses, but that could be about to change.
Three More Goals Conceded
But if Liverpool cannot keep things tight at the back, what use is all that attacking firepower?
For the second consecutive match, the Reds built a 2–0 lead only to begin shipping goals. Leeds United scored four unanswered goals in the second half alone at Soldier Field in Chicago last Sunday.
It wasn't quite as alarming here, but the Reds still surrendered three goals to end up on the losing side.
Virgil van Dijk continues to lack an experienced partner. Teenage defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe featured until halftime, when he was replaced by midfielder Wataru Endo.
Liverpool had no senior center back available on the bench, which goes some way to explaining the club's sudden interest in Barcelona's Ronald Araújo. There are encouraging reports surrounding Jérémy Jacquet, but the young Frenchman's preseason has been disrupted by injury, coming shortly after a shoulder issue cut short his 2025–26 season prematurely.
At present, Liverpool look far too vulnerable defensively and too easy to score against.
Attack wins matches, defense wins trophies. Without the latter, the Reds could find themselves falling short.
First Glimpse of Victor Munoz
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Among the wave of substitutions Iraola made around the hour mark, Víctor Muñoz earned his first unofficial minutes as a Liverpool player.
The winger, acquired from Osasuna in mid-June, remained unused on the bench throughout Spain's victorious World Cup campaign, making this his first appearance since scoring in a 2–1 loss to Espanyol in La Liga on May 17—a full 12 weeks prior.
Muñoz had limited time to make an impression, but what caught supporters' attention was his pace and the directness he brought to the game. He is not a Salah-type winger who cuts inside and racks up goals, but rather a far more traditional wide player in his approach.