By Sachit Subba • Football • Aug 29, 2026 21:41 PM • 530 views
Victor Munoz transformed the chaos at Anfield into a victory. In the 82nd minute, his fierce shot was deflected in to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw against the determined Nottingham Forest team, thus avoiding a loss for Andoni Iraola in his first home match in charge of the club he now manages after Arne Slot left.
It was never intended to turn out like this. Slot led Liverpool to their 20th English top-flight title, matching the record, in the 2024/25 season, only to be sacked after finishing fifth the previous season. His successor was therefore looking for a result that would make a statement in front of the Kop, but instead he suffered a scare.
Forest opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Matz Sels played a long pass that led to a quick counter-attack, and Gibbs-White found Dan Ndoye, who scored calmly into the bottom corner. Before half-time, Liverpool believed they had equalised when Florian Wirtz scored, but VAR disallowed the goal for a slight offside involving Jeremie Frimpong in the build-up, causing the home fans to groan rather than celebrate.
The second period saw a new sense of urgency. At the hour mark, Cody Gakpo's perfectly timed low cross put Alexander Isak in a position where he merely had to score to level the score. Forest then replied with a quick throw-in from the newly signed Liam Delap, which caught Liverpool's back line off guard and led to Alisson bringing down Neco Williams in the box. Gibbs-White took the spot kick and beat the Brazilian goalkeeper, giving Forest a 2-1 lead.
Iraola made his selections from the substitutes' bench, pulling Gakpo instead of Munoz. The decision proved effective very quickly, as the Spaniard was moved to the right wing. Eight minutes before the end of the game, Wirtz passed to Munoz, who in one movement turned 180 degrees and then fired a rising shot that Murillo deflected, hit the underside of the crossbar and dropped in, marking his first goal in his first appearance for Liverpool. Sels was left with no chance, and the crowd at Anfield reacted with relief rather than with triumph.
Liverpool were seeking a win that ultimately did not materialise. In the final phase of the match, the home team had 72 per cent possession, and Dominik Szoboszlai nearly scored with a late free kick that sailed past the post. Forest remained firm, and their defensive discipline prevented what would have been their third consecutive league victory at Anfield. Goal.com India + 2
Iraola's run of two games without a win now stands, having also come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Newcastle the week before. That leaves the new manager with several issues to address before Friday's match against Ipswich. It is said that new reinforcements may be on the way; a club record transfer for Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, at a cost of around £106 million with add-ons that might take the total higher, is reportedly close to being completed, a move which could accelerate Gakpo's departure, since the forward has attracted interest from Tottenham and Manchester City even though he has been Liverpool's most effective striker in the first two rounds.
For now, Forest return to the Midlands content with their share of the prize money, while Liverpool look for answers and their first win of the season as both the international transfer window and a restructured squad loom.
