Andoni Iraola escaped defeat on his Anfield debut as Liverpool manager as Victor Munoz’s late strike salvaged a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Forest looked set to win at Anfield for a third consecutive season on Saturday after Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty twice put the visitors ahead.
Alexander Isak briefly brought Liverpool level after the break before Munoz’s deflected effort rescued a point — the second late equaliser in as many games under Iraola.
“It’s quite clear the first half has been poor, we haven’t controlled the game,” said Iraola. “We improved a lot in the second half, much more intense, much quicker on the ball, but not enough to win the game.”
Liverpool will hope Bradley Barcola is available to make his debut when they return to action at Ipswich on Friday.
The French winger has been one of the Reds’ leading targets for months, with a £106 million ($144 million) deal with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly close to completion. The fee could rise by a further £17 million.
Iraola had hoped for a special occasion on his first appearance at Liverpool’s iconic home, but instead received an early reminder of the scale of the task that awaits him after replacing the sacked Arne Slot.
The Dutchman guided Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title in 2024/25 but was dismissed after the club finished fifth last season.
Despite a record £450 million spent on new signings 12 months ago, Liverpool are still waiting for that investment to translate into consistent performances. Full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were both withdrawn, while Isak and Florian Wirtz again struggled to justify the huge fees paid for their services.
Liverpool also looked vulnerable defensively as a Forest side that failed to score in either of their opening two games under Oliver Glasner created a steady stream of chances.
‘Two emotions’
“There are two emotions I think,” said Glasner. “Very proud of the performance and how we played, scoring two goals, but we all feel frustrated about the result because we have the feeling it could and should have been a win.”
Jeremy Jacquet produced a brilliant last-ditch block to deny Igor Jesus, while Ndoye headed narrowly wide before Forest took the lead in the 24th minute.
Liverpool were exposed by a long ball forward that sent Jesus racing towards goal. Although the Brazilian was eventually dispossessed, Gibbs-White recovered possession and teed up Ndoye, who calmly found the far corner.
Wirtz again showed flashes of the quality that made him such a prized signing, but, as has been the case early in his Liverpool career, he struggled to impose himself on the game.
The Germany international thought he had levelled when he fired home, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside against Frimpong in the build-up.
Forest nearly doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time, but Alisson produced an important save to deny Ndoye.
Barcola’s expected arrival could also accelerate Cody Gakpo’s departure from Anfield, with Tottenham and Manchester City reportedly interested in the Netherlands international.
For now, however, Gakpo remains Liverpool’s most effective forward at the start of the season.
His inch-perfect cross on the hour mark gave Isak a simple tap-in to level the scores.
Liverpool were beginning to build momentum when Forest struck again.
New signing Liam Delap took a quick throw-in that caught the home defence napping, allowing Neco Williams to race into the area. Alisson rushed off his line and brought him down, leaving Gibbs-White to coolly send the Brazilian goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Iraola emptied his bench in search of a response, and his decision to keep Munoz on the pitch instead of Gakpo ultimately paid off.
Wirtz threaded a superb through ball into the path of the Spain international, who smashed his finish against the underside of the crossbar and into the net for his first goal since joining Liverpool from Osasuna.
The late rescue spared Iraola a losing start at Anfield, but Liverpool’s defensive frailties and lack of cohesion will remain major concerns as the new manager attempts to turn a hugely expensive squad into a convincing side.
