Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong impress and five other things spotted in Liverpool private friendly

Florian Wirtz of Liverpool in action during a pre-season friendly

Via echo

Liverpool continued their pre-season preparations with a 5-0 thrashing of Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday, prior to flying out to Hong Kong for the start of their tour of Asia.

Darwin Nunez scored a hat-trick, while further goals from Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa clinched an emphatic victory.

Wirtz off the mark

While Nunez grabbed the headlines with a 14-minute hat-trick in the first half, taking his pre-season total to four goals from just two 45-minute outings, Wirtz made his own mark in the number 10 role behind the Uruguayan.

The playmaker created Nunez’s opener as he received the ball from Trey Nyoni, shrugged off a challenge and threaded through a through-ball into the box.

Starting a counter-attack on the edge of his own box with a smart turn and pass to Mohamed Salah, the German sprinted forward before eventually getting the ball back from Ngumoha.

Playing a simple one-two with Curtis Jones, he then picked out Ngumoha with a simple pass into the box as the teenager powered home for the Reds’ fourth goal of the game.

Registering goal contributions at the first time of asking for Liverpool, Wirtz wasted no time in making an early impact with such a showing an inevitable sign of things to come.

Flying Frimpong

Having come on at right-back at half-time against Preston North End for his unofficial Liverpool debut, Jeremie Frimpong was instead utilised as a right-winger against Stoke City.

With his rapid pace already well-documented, he was a threat from start to finish in his 45-minute showing as he repeatedly showed his threat in the final third.

The Dutchman came close to scoring early in the half as he cut inside onto his left foot and curled just over.

But he also whipped in a number of dangerous crosses that led to goalscoring opportunities.

Frimpong’s versatility on the right-flank was one of the reasons why Liverpool decided to sign him in the first place.

Chiesa chances

Chiesa was a surprise absentee when the Liverpool travelling squad to Asia was named hours after the win over Stoke.

The Italian’s absence was put down to a ‘minor issue’, but it inevitably led to questions about his Anfield future.

For the record, he was really lively after being introduced at half-time against Stoke as he was again used as a centre-forward.

New roles

Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that Szoboszlai had started at right-back against Stoke.

But as had been the case with Bradley against Preston, that did not stop the Hungarian from essentially playing as a second number 10 in possession.

He was Liverpool’s furthest man forward for the opening goal, running onto Wirtz’s through-ball in a central position, while he got an assist when crossing low from the right for Nunez to fire home his second.

Captain Konate

With Salah and Robertson both starting against Stoke, along with Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson Becker not included in the squad, Liverpool took to the field without any members of their leadership group in the second half.

Jota tributes continue

The Liverpool squad once again wore black armbands in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, against Stoke as the club continues to mourn following the passing of the Portuguese striker in a car crash earlier this month.