Leeds United completed a stunning second-half comeback to defeat Liverpool 4-2 in a pre-season friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, August 2, 2026. The result handed new Liverpool head coach ESPN his first defeat since arriving from Bournemouth to replace Arne Slot. An estimated 49,128 spectators attended the match, according to The Guardian.
First-Half Dominance
Liverpool appeared in control for the first 45 minutes, which the BBC described as arguably the best display since Iraola took charge. The Reds opened the scoring in the seventh minute when 22-year-old defender Luke Chambers finished a play following a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. Chambers, who spent last season on loan at Charlton, scored from six yards out after the ball was flicked on, according to ESPN.
Liverpool doubled their lead in the 40th minute through Florian Wirtz. The goal was set up by Jeremie Frimpong, who volleyed a cross across the box after receiving a pass from midfielder Trey Nyoni. Wirtz and Alexander Isak had returned to action for the match after starting pre-season training on the Monday of that week, The Guardian reported.
Leeds Second-Half Surge
The momentum shifted entirely after the break when Daniel Farke’s side scored four unanswered goals in a 25-minute span. The comeback began in the 60th minute when Brenden Aaronson scored following a mistake by Milos Kerkez, who gave possession to Ethan Ampadu. In the 71st minute, Dominic Calvert-Lewin leveled the score by converting a long throw from Ampadu that was flicked on by Joe Rodon.
Leeds took the lead in the 73rd minute when Sean Longstaff scored after Curtis Jones attempted to sweep away a low cross from Aaronson but turned the ball toward Longstaff instead. Calvert-Lewin sealed the 4-2 victory in the 85th minute with a header off the underside of the crossbar, following another Ampadu long throw flicked on by Tarik Muharemovic.
Managerial Reflections and Squad Concerns
Following the match, Iraola described the game as probably the most useful friendly we played,
noting that the team learned a lot from both the positive first half and the negative second half, according to Liverpool FC. The BBC noted that Liverpool’s lack of physicality and squad depth were exposed, particularly against an inexperienced backline that finished the game consisting of Kostas Tsimikas, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Mor Talla Ndiaye, and Calvin Ramsay.
Iraola also addressed concerns regarding Jeremie Frimpong, who was withdrawn in apparent discomfort. The manager stated he did not believe it was an injury, attributing the substitution to “some overload.” This is a critical point for the squad as sportsmole reports that Liverpool is already without Joe Gomez, who is expected to be out for at least a month, and Conor Bradley, who could miss several months.
US Tour Summary
The defeat ended Liverpool’s United States tour, which had previously included a 4-2 win over Sunderland and a 1-0 victory against Wrexham. Leeds United’s tour included a 3-2 loss to Wrexham in Tampa, Florida, and a 1-0 win over Sunderland in New Jersey.
| Player | Goal/Assist (Leeds) | Goal/Assist (Liverpool) |
|---|---|---|
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | 2 Goals | – |
| Brenden Aaronson | 1 Goal | – |
| Sean Longstaff | 1 Goal | – |
| Luke Chambers | – | 1 Goal |
| Florian Wirtz | – | 1 Goal |
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