Liverpool's ambitious summer rebuild showed early promise on August 9, 2026, as new signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz each scored in the first half against AS Monaco, giving the Reds a 2-0 halftime lead at Anfield in Andoni Iraola's first home match as head coach. With the 2026-27 Premier League campaign fast approaching, the pre-season fixture offered supporters a first live look at how the club's significant transfer investment and new managerial appointment were beginning to take shape on the pitch.

First-Half Goals

Isak opened the scoring in the 16th minute, marking Anfield's first opportunity to see the Swedish striker perform in a Liverpool shirt on home soil. Wirtz doubled the advantage 13 minutes later, finding the net in the 29th minute to give Liverpool a comfortable cushion heading into the break.

Both players joined Liverpool following the World Cup break and had already begun developing their on-field partnership during the club's three-stop pre-season tour of the United States earlier in August. The Monaco friendly served as a homecoming showcase for two of the summer transfer window's most expensive and highly anticipated signings, with early chemistry between the two offering encouraging signs ahead of the competitive fixtures to come.

Also returning to the matchday squad for this fixture were Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, and Cody Gakpo — key players who had been managed cautiously throughout the pre-season schedule. Their reintroduction reflected the typical approach clubs take in final pre-season matches, gradually ramping up minutes for established starters as the campaign nears.

Iraola's Anfield Era Begins

Andoni Iraola was appointed Liverpool's head coach in June 2026 on a two-year contract, succeeding Arne Slot. Slot had held the position for just one season following the departure of Jürgen Klopp, who ended his transformative tenure at the club. The rapid succession of three managers in a short span underscored the scale of transition Liverpool had undertaken since Klopp's departure.

Iraola arrived at Anfield with a reputation built on intense pressing systems and defensively disciplined structures, developed during his tenure in the Premier League with AFC Bournemouth. That familiarity with the English top flight meant supporters already had a reference point for the energetic, front-foot style he was known to implement. His appointment marked a new direction for Liverpool as the club looked to integrate its marquee summer arrivals and build toward the competitive season ahead.

AS Monaco, competing in France's Ligue 1, provided the opposition for what was effectively Iraola's first formal match at Anfield, offering supporters an early glimpse of how the new-look Liverpool side might operate under the Spanish manager's tactical framework.