Andoni Iraola managed to avoid defeat in his debut match as manager at Anfield thanks to a goal from Victor Munoes, which allowed Liverpool to draw 2-2 with Nottingham Forest.
The Forest team was poised to achieve its third consecutive victory at Anfield, as penalties scored by Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White twice put the visitors ahead. Alexander Isak briefly equalized late in the second half, but a blocked shot from Munoes helped preserve points for Iraola's team for the second time in his two matches as head coach.
Liverpool hopes that they will be able to use Bradley Barkolou before the next match against Ipswich on Friday. The French winger has long been one of the Reds' main targets, and it is reported that the deal for him from Paris Saint-Germain, which could increase by another 17 million pounds, is nearing completion.
Iraola admitted that he hoped for a special day to mark his first match in charge at the iconic home ground, but instead received a reminder of the reasons why he was given the chance to replace the sacked Arne Slot.
The German coach led Liverpool to the 20th Premier League title, matching the record, in the 2024/25 season, but was dismissed after finishing fifth last season. Significant investments of 450 million pounds in new players a year ago have not yet yielded the expected returns, as full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremy Frimpong were replaced, and Isak and Florian Wirtz again failed to make the expected impact, considering the huge transfer fees.
Furthermore, Liverpool's defense remains fragile, as the Forest team, which had not scored in the first two games under Oliver Glaser, created numerous scoring opportunities. Jeremy Jacke had to make a brilliant block in the final second to prevent a goal from Igor Jesus and Ndoye, which almost went into the net before Forest took the lead in the 24th minute.
Liverpool's defense looked chaotic when a long cross allowed Jesus to get close to the goal, and even after losing possession, Morgan Gibbs-White set up a pass for Ndoye, who sent the ball into the far corner.
Wirtz, following his career at Liverpool, showed flashes of genius but could not dominate the game. The German playmaker failed to equalize when his goal was disallowed for offside against Frimpong during the build-up play.
On the other side of the pitch, Alisson's vital save prevented Ndoye from scoring a second goal in stoppage time of the first half. The upcoming arrival of Barkolou may end Cody Gakpo's spell at Anfield, as the Dutch international is being monitored by Tottenham and Manchester City.
A quick ball injection caught Liverpool's defense off guard. Gibbs-White calmly directed the Brazilian number one incorrectly from the penalty spot, restoring Forest's advantage.
Iraola brought on substitutes to find an equalizer, and the decision to replace Gakpo with Munoes proved correct. Wirtz threaded a perfect pass for the Spaniard, who powerfully struck the ball past the crossbar, scoring his first goal since joining Osasuna. Neither team could score the decisive goal in the tense conclusion, leaving both Iraola and Glaser awaiting their first win in charge.