Liverpool's Starting XI Looks Impressive—Now Comes the Real Test

Liverpool faced a challenging summer, dealing with the exit of iconic forward Mohamed Salah, a managerial change, more players heading out than coming in, and some sobering preseason results.

However, following a victory over Como at Anfield on Sunday, the mood around the Reds brightened slightly on the eve of the 2026–27 season—with an opening day fixture at Newcastle United just one week away.

Liverpool welcomed the ambitious Serie A side in their final preseason friendly, with first-half strikes from Cody Gakpo and Jérémy Jacquet sealing a 2–0 victory. Earlier that day, the two clubs had fielded separate squads in a closed-doors training match that ended goalless.

Andoni Iraola guided the team to wins against Sunderland and Wrexham in late July, before back-to-back defeats to Leeds United and Monaco raised concerns. Liverpool had led 2–0 in both games, only to concede four and three unanswered goals respectively.

Following the Monaco defeat, Iraola—renowned for his high-pressing, high-tempo approach at Bournemouth—acknowledged the squad lacked physical readiness. "Right now, we probably don't have much more [than 30 minutes], in terms of the levels required to play like this."

The Spanish coach cautioned that "it will take time" to build the necessary fitness and that "more training" is the only solution. A week later, Como encountered a transformed Liverpool side. This time, a 2–0 advantage held firm without a second-half collapse. It was only the team's second clean sheet of the summer and the first against top-flight opposition—having previously kept out Wrexham.

Como controlled possession, registered more shots, shots on target and corners, yet the result still felt like a turning point for Iraola and Liverpool at just the right moment.

Liverpool Starting XI on Track

Alexis Mac Allister featured in the behind-closed-doors session held at Liverpool's training ground, making his first appearance of the summer after reaching the World Cup final with Argentina less than a month prior. Víctor Muñoz, a non-playing member of Spain's title-winning squad, also took part despite having featured in the Monaco match.

All other participants were either fringe first-team players—including Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott and Federico Chiesa—or academy talents.

The XI Iraola selected for the Anfield fixture closely resembled Liverpool's strongest available lineup.

Jacquet bounced back from a summer injury to make his first appearance since February, impressing in his debut alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence. There is considerable optimism that Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, the latter still completing ACL rehabilitation, will form Liverpool's long-term central defensive partnership. But with Leoni still unavailable—and Joe Gomez also sidelined once again—Jacquet and Van Dijk could prove a formidable pairing in the months to come.

Jeremie Frimpong remained fit throughout preseason despite a brief scare, with Milos Kerkez occupying the opposite flank in the back four. Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch look like a midfield duo worth backing, especially given Mac Allister's underwhelming 2025–26 campaign and the continued uncertainty surrounding his future.

Rio Ngumoha stepped into the void left by Salah on the right wing, while Gakpo continued to deliver on the left. Through the middle, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak had further opportunity to build a connection that could shift Liverpool's attacking threat away from the wide areas.

There is plenty for Liverpool supporters to be excited about with this squad.  

Lack of Depth Still Is the Much Bigger Issue

The concern, however, is that Liverpool have very little in reserve.

Ronald Araújo made his unofficial bow as a second-half substitute, coming on for Jacquet at the interval. With Gomez proving inconsistent and Leoni not yet ready to contribute, Liverpool's next option at centre-back is Endo—a midfielder by trade.

Muñoz ended up featuring in two matches on the same day, playing the final 17 minutes, yet no other bench player was a recognised first-team option.

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That feels insufficient when Arsenal remain the benchmark, Manchester City are expected to strengthen further in the transfer market, and both Chelsea and Manchester United have grounds for optimism. Even Tottenham Hotspur look set to climb back up the standings.

Bradley Barcola would be a marquee addition—the winger was left out of Paris Saint-Germain's squad for Sunday's French Super Cup—but the likes of Chiesa, Endo, Kostas Tsimikas and others, considered surplus to requirements last season, appear set to serve as the squad's depth for the campaign ahead.

Liverpool could thrive if injuries and fatigue are kept at bay. But football rarely works that way.