Andoni Iraola’s first match as Liverpool manager at Anfield resulted in a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, with a late goal from Victor Munoz preventing a home defeat. The result leaves both Iraola and Forest manager Oliver Glasner still searching for their first victory of the new campaign.
Nottingham Forest appeared poised to secure a third consecutive win at Anfield, having taken the lead twice through Dan Ndoye and a Morgan Gibbs-White penalty. Ndoye opened the scoring in the 24th minute after a defensive lapse allowed Igor Jesus to create an opening, which Gibbs-White capitalized on to set up his teammate. Forest had previously threatened through a Jeremy Jacquet block on Jesus and a narrow miss from Ndoye.
Liverpool struggled to find rhythm early on, with Florian Wirtz seeing an equalizer disallowed for an offside against Jeremie Frimpong. However, the hosts leveled the score on the hour mark when Cody Gakpo delivered a precise cross for Alexander Isak to tap home. Despite this momentum, Liverpool conceded again shortly after when a quick throw-in from Liam Delap caught the defense off guard, leading to a foul by goalkeeper Alisson on Neco Williams. Gibbs-White successfully converted the resulting penalty.
Iraola’s tactical adjustments proved decisive, particularly his decision to keep Munoz on the pitch while substituting Gakpo. The gamble paid off when Wirtz provided a threaded through ball to the Spanish international, who secured the draw by blasting a shot in off the crossbar. This marked Munoz’s first goal since his transfer from Osasuna.
The match highlighted ongoing defensive vulnerabilities for Liverpool, who have struggled to see a return on their 450 million pound ($609m) investment in new signings from last season. Players like Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Isak, and Wirtz have yet to consistently meet the high expectations set by their transfer fees. The club is currently navigating a period of transition following the dismissal of Arne Slot, who led the team to a 20th top-flight title in 2024/25 but was let go after a fifth-place finish last year.
Off the pitch, Liverpool is nearing a significant transfer move, with a deal for Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola reportedly close to completion. The agreement is valued at 106 million pounds ($144m), with potential add-ons reaching an additional 17 million pounds ($23m). The arrival of the French winger could impact the future of Cody Gakpo, who has attracted interest from Manchester City and Tottenham, despite being one of Liverpool’s most effective performers in the opening two matches.
Liverpool will look to integrate their new attacking options when they face Ipswich away on Friday. For now, the team remains a work in progress as Iraola attempts to stabilize a squad that has shown flashes of brilliance but lacks the necessary defensive cohesion to dominate matches. The report also notes that alexander Isak briefly brought Iraola’s men level in the second half before Munoz’s deflected effort rescued a late point for the second time in Iraola’s two matches in charge. The report also notes that but instead got a reminder of why he was given the chance to replace the sacked Arne Slot, iraola said he was hoping for a special day to mark his first match in charge at the club’s iconic home. The report also notes that a record 450 million-pound ($609m) outlay on new signings 12 months ago continues to bear little return on investment as full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were subbed off, while Isak and Florian Wirtz again struggled to make the impact expected for enormous transfer fees.
Comments