Andoni Iraola saw three winners and three big losers from Liverpool’s training ground friendly with Como

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Sunday served as the last chance for some of Liverpool’s fringe players to impress Andoni Iraola and force their way into contention before next weekend’s Premier League kick-off.The Reds faced Como at the AXA Training Centre on Sunday morning, with Iraola naming a second-string XI alongside a handful of senior players, before a first-team clash with the Italians later in the evening.Although it was a low-key run-out, the Liverpool head coach will have still learned plenty about his players during the 0-0 draw, and there were three obvious winners, and, perhaps more crucially, three clear losers from the match. Santiago/Chris Brunskill/Fantasista Victor Munoz was the best player on the pitchThis summer has largely been free from the excitement of seeing new signings out on the pitch for Liverpool, which has made the chance to see Victor Munoz all the more special.The Spaniard made his debut against Monaco last weekend, and he was the name every fan will have been excited to watch from Sunday’s behind closed doors line-up.Munoz did not disappoint, driving at the Como full-back and showing the kind of pace which Liverpool were sorely missing last season.The 23-year-old seems to have been slated for a left wing berth by Iraola, but he showed plenty of willingness to go down the line on his left foot, which was really encouraging.READ MORE: Liverpool’s Premier League opening day XI is now clear after Sunday’s behind closed doors friendly with ComoPhoto by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesAlthough he is unlikely to be in Iraola’s best XI, with Bradley Barcola hopefully coming in, Munoz showed why Liverpool fans should be excited to see more of him.Elsewhere, it was a really positive run out for Alexis Mac Allister, who looked a cut above his teammates in central midfield.There have been plenty of questions about Mac Allister’s future with the Reds this summer, but after a dismal 2025/26 campaign, the Argentine had a positive World Cup, and he looked to take that form into Sunday.The other big winner of the day was probably Wataru Endo, who did an excellent job of keeping Alvaro Morata quiet while playing centre-back.Endo has been a little forgotten by supporters after struggling to impress Arne Slot and being injured for much of last season.

He is now behind Ronald Araujo in the defensive pecking order, but he will not let the Reds down if given a chance, and he proved that again here.Harvey Elliott is the biggest loserIraola’s selections told us a lot about who he sees as being in his current best XI, and though it would not have been a surprise to the likes of Federico Chiesa, Harvey Elliott, Kostas Tsimikas and Giorgi Mamardashvili that they were playing, it may still have been disappointing to be named in the first team of the day on Sunday.The only way to bring a positive out of the match would have been to shine, but while Tsimikas and Mamardashvili did okay, Chiesa and Elliott went the other way.Elliott in particular does not look especially fit, and he badly struggled to make any kind of impact while playing on the right of the attack.The 23-year-old often dropped deeper in an attempt to be more involved, but he was again ineffective, and though fans have been pleased to see him back after his miserable season at Aston Villa, it is clear that he is not currently at the level required. A second chance was there for Elliott this summer, but he has not taken it all.

What has been your main takeaway from Liverpool’s pre-season under Andoni Iraola? He could get more minutes at Anfield, but he is unlikely to have inserted himself into Iraola’s plan on this evidence.As well as the two more senior players, it has been a disappointing summer for James McConnell, who has not kicked on as expected.The 22-year-old has been vastly outshone by Trey Nyoni during pre-season, and that continued on Sunday.McConnell was played noticeably higher up the pitch against Como, playing in the Florian Wirtz role, but he did not show anything like enough to make sure of a first-team place.There have been rumours that McConnell is likely to leave for a Championship loan, and though there will have been internal hope at Liverpool that he could step up alongside Nyoni to potentially replace Curtis Jones, that chance looks to have passed him by.