Liverpool Blow 2-Goal Lead Again

Andoni Iraola's Liverpool side threw away a two-goal lead for the second straight game, losing 3-2 to Monaco in a pre-season friendly. The team had previously beaten Sunderland and Wrexham in pre-season, but they have now thrown away two-goal leads in defeats by both Leeds and Monaco.

Andoni Iraola said his side had 'work to do' because they could not sustain the level that he wanted for the duration of a game. This comes after Iraola replaced Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach a season after the latter won the Premier League with the Reds.

Liverpool have shown some promising signs in pre-season, with the team averaging 60.6% possession over their four pre-season games, a 12.9% jump on Bournemouth's average possession under Iraola in the league last season. Florian Wirtz, who scored in the 3-2 friendly defeat to Monaco, has been a notable addition to the team, with his £100m arrival from Bayer Leverkusen making him the most expensive player in Liverpool's history, albeit for less than three months before Alexander Isak cost still more.

The team is also close to completing a season-long loan move for Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo from Barcelona, which could help address their shortage of central defenders. Young defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe has been handed more minutes than expected due to this shortage, but he is not allowed to play for Liverpool in competitive games in 2026 due to post-Brexit work permit rules.

## What happens next As Liverpool continue their pre-season preparations, they will be looking to address their inability to sustain their level of performance over the course of a game. With the new season approaching, Iraola will be hoping to find a solution to this problem and lead his team to success.