A near full-strength Reds side takes to the Anfield turf

Anfield was not quite at capacity, but it was not far off either, and for plenty of supporters inside the ground, this was their only opportunity to watch Liverpool in the flesh this season. The occasion had a real edge to it, then, and Andoni Iraola responded by naming what looks increasingly like his strongest available eleven. Alisson started in goal behind a back four of Jeremie Frimpong, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in the engine room and Florian Wirtz, Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo supporting Alexander Isak up front.

This was the second meeting of the day between the two clubs, with a behind-closed-doors fixture at the AXA Training Centre finishing goalless earlier in the afternoon. That earlier clash gave minutes to several squad players including Gabriel Munoz, Luca Nyoni and Lewis Koumas, all of whom were listed amongst the substitutes for the evening match. Iraola confirmed ahead of kick-off that he intended to give both Jacquet and Ronald Araujo a half each, all being well, a sensible way to manage two defenders at very different stages of their pre-season.

Wirtz impresses in the warm-up and Jacquet catches the eye early

Florian Wirtz had the Kop purring before a ball was even kicked competitively, firing a series of rockets past the keeper during the warm-up. Once the match got underway, the attacking intent from Wirtz and Szoboszlai was clear, both keen to get on the ball and drive Liverpool forward. Ngumoha, operating at right wing in a position described as unfamiliar to him, showed real threat with the ball played in behind the Como defence.

Jacquet, meanwhile, made an immediate impression on the supporters. A crunching challenge inside the penalty area to win possession, followed by the physical determination to hold his ground back on his feet, earned him a song from the Kop, not a bad way to introduce yourself on what amounted to an unofficial Liverpool debut. The source notes that Iraola has been working Jacquet closely alongside Van Dijk in training, with the partnership in mind for the early weeks of the Premier League campaign.

Alexander Isak went close with a curling effort from the edge of the box that bent beautifully back towards goal and struck the outside of the post. The movement and touch were not always quite there, but the intent and the quality of the attempt underlined why Liverpool brought him in.

Questions that still need answering before Newcastle

One tactical observation that surfaced during the evening was the midfield's awareness, or occasional lack of it, when it came to covering defensively. With both Szoboszlai and Gravenberch prone to wandering forward, the question of whether Liverpool need a more defensive-minded midfielder was raised, and it is one Iraola will need to address before the trip to St James' Park. It is a detail that had also cropped up during the Monaco friendly, so it is not a one-off.

Curtis Jones was absent from the squad despite having trained earlier in the week, with a minor hip problem offered as the official explanation. However, with Inter Milan's reported interest in the Academy product lingering in the background, supporters could be forgiven for reading between the lines. The Salah succession question also refuses to go away, it was pointed out that Mohamed Salah's departure was announced back in the March international break and Liverpool are still to identify a replacement for someone who was the club's top scorer in eight of his nine seasons at Anfield.

Off the pitch, the week's biggest development was the confirmation of a 30 per cent stake sale to the consortium known as 1892 Holdings, a group featuring Jeff Bezos and Eduardo Saverin, in a deal believed to be worth around £1.65 billion. What that means in practical terms for the club's transfer ambitions in the days that remain of the window is a story that is very much still unfolding.