Liverpool rounded off their pre-season schedule in convincing fashion, beating Serie A side Como 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday evening. The performance will have pleased new boss Andoni Iraola, who now has plenty to work with as he settles on his preferred starting lineup ahead of the club’s Premier League curtain-raiser next weekend.
While further signings are still expected before the transfer window shuts, Sunday’s showing was a reminder of the talent already at Iraola’s disposal. A number of players staked their claim for regular minutes, with one man in particular seemingly finding his feet again at Anfield.
Cody Gakpo had appeared close to an Anfield exit heading into last week, but his display against Como may have given Iraola second thoughts about letting the Dutchman go. Featuring for 73 minutes, Gakpo opened the scoring with a calm finish off a Jeremie Frimpong cross, then turned creator before the break to complete a lively night’s work. He was a constant menace running at the Como backline, repeatedly getting the better of defenders through his movement and close control.
Frimpong was equally eye-catching. Beyond teeing up Gakpo’s opener, the full-back was relentless going forward, whipping in several dangerous deliveries throughout the match. His attacking threat has never really been in question since he joined Liverpool — the bigger challenge for Iraola will be managing his fitness and availability across the full 2026/27 season.
Elsewhere, one of the summer’s biggest ongoing transfer sagas involves Liverpool’s pursuit of PSG’s Bradley Barcola. Personal terms aren’t said to be a sticking point, but the two clubs remain far apart on valuation, with a deal potentially costing Liverpool upwards of £100m. Barcola could end up being Iraola’s next big attacking project, echoing the impact he had with Eli Kroupi during his Bournemouth days.
But Sunday’s win suggested Liverpool might already have their own version of Kroupi within the squad — this time at the back. New centre-back Jeremy Jacquet delivered a superb first outing on his Anfield debut. Given just 45 minutes, the £60m arrival made the most of it, winning every aerial duel he faced and completing six tackles to show off his defensive strength and reading of the game. His composure on the ball was just as striking, completing 45 of 47 passes attempted, and he even got on the scoresheet — reacting fastest in the box to turn home Gakpo’s pinpoint cross.
Journalist Bence Bocsak was among those praising the young defender, calling his outing against Como outstanding. It’s still very early days in Jacquet’s Liverpool journey, but his debut alone has fans buzzing. Should he continue to develop under Iraola and hit the heights Kroupi reached during his own breakout campaign, Liverpool could have unearthed another special young talent.
