Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest: Even at Anfield as Iraola’s Reds lucky to draw

Well, that was a fun game!

For the neutral.

Liverpool fans will be very concerned about their lack of balance and defensive issues.

Nottingham Forest will be feeling like that is one that got away. They led twice and created so many great chances.

It will be intriguing to see what Iraola has to say after this game, about his team and potentials ins and outs in the final days of the window.

What a game this is!

Liverpool are level again and Victor Munoz has made it 2-2.

The Spanish winger with a fine turn and finish at the Kop and the home fans will now believe they can win this.

Just a few minuets to go. Buckle up.

Liverpool weren’t level for long.

Neco Williams goes down in the box after contact from Alisson, and that is a penalty.

Gibbs-White slots home the pen and Forest’s fans go wild.

Very poor defensively from Liverpool.

Can Liverpool find another equalizer later on?

Out of nowhere Liverpool make it 1-1.

Great cross from Gakpo and Isak taps home.

30 minutes to go. Game on!

Forest are looking pretty comfortable at the moment with this lead.

Liverpool have to force the issue more and Anfield expects.

Surely it won’t be much longer until Iraola throws caution to the wind and chucks on a few more forwards?

Here’s a look at some of the key half time stats from Anfield, with Liverpool giving up some big chances as Nottingham Forest should be ahead by more than one goal.

xG: Liverpool 0.25 vs 1.29 Nottingham Forest
Big chances: Liverpool 0 vs 3 Nottingham Forest
Shots: Liverpool 4 vs 8 Nottingham Forest
Possession: Liverpool 63% vs 37% Nottingham Forest

Forest have also covered almost 3km more, collectively, than Liverpool.

That makes sense.

Liverpool just haven’t looked up to speed at all.

Not the home debut Andoni Iraola will have wanted, so far, as Liverpool have been totally off the pace.

Nottingham Forest lead through Dan Ndoye and have had three or four glorious chances.

Florian Wirtz had a goal disallowed for offside and Victor Munoz went close, but Liverpool haven’t had much control of this game.

Iraola will surely have to make some big tweaks at half time to rescue this for Liverpool.

But they’re in a dangerous spot as Forest are ready to pounce on the counter as soon as Liverpool take more risks to get back in the game.

Intriguing second 45 minutes coming up at Anfield.

Right on half time Nottingham Forest should be 2-0 up.

Ola Aina with some wonderful play down the right and he cuts the ball back to Igor Jesus.

His shot is going in but somehow Alisson claws the ball away and it hits the crossbar and goes out for a corner.

Forest boss Glasner once again can’t believe it. He has a look of absolute shock on his face.

Liverpool are lucky to only be 1-0 down.

Liverpool build down their right and Gakpo cuts it back.

The ball just evades Isak but Victor Munoz is there.

The eyes of the young Spanish winger light up as he curls his effort towards the far top corner.

But he lifts it just a bit too high and it curls inches wide.

The cameras cut to Iraola on the sidelines and his expression is one of pain. Liverpool’s fans are all wearing a similar expression right now.

Overall it has been a poor first half from Liverpool.

After a really sloppy first 30 minutes, Liverpool are level. Or so they though...

Jeremy Frimpong does well to win the ball back in Forest’s penalty box after a loose ball bounces back towards goal.

He then tees up Wirtz to slot home and make it 1-1.

But hang on. Not so far.

VAR checks for a possible offside on Frimpong when the ball was played back.

And the referee is explaining to Virgil van Dijk that the goal is disallowed for offside.

No goal. Wirtz can’t believe it.

A long ball forward from Selz finds Igor Jesus who gets the ball under control.

Morgan Gibbs-White plays a lovely little reverse pass to Ndoye on the left side of the box.

He still has a lot to do and the angle is tight, but Ndoye slots home across Alisson and into the bottom corner.

Forest lead 1-0 and that was coming. Liverpool look a bit stunned.

Another lovely cross to the back post, this time from McAtee on his left foot, finds Ndoye.

This time he heads across goal and it looks like it’s going to sneak into the bottom corner.

But it goes just wide.

Once again Glasner and the Forest players can’t believe that hasn’t gone in.

Glasner applauds his players. They are looking very sharp in attack.

Liverpool are really on the back foot now.

Aina whips in a delicious cross from the right and Ndoye does so well to head it down towards goal.

Igor Jesus is there and looks certain to score as he prods the ball towards goal.

Alisson is on the floor and just before him is Jeremy Jacquet.

The young French defender gets a block on the ball at the vital moment.

Forest thought they were ahead. Glasner and their players can’t believe that.

What an open, entertaining first 15 minutes this has been.

A sensational through ball from Mac Allister plays Gakpo in on goal.

He’s clean through, but Williams makes a brilliant last-ditch tackle just as he’s about to finish.

Brilliant play from everyone there.

Anfield is buzzing early on and Liverpool have started well.

Liverpool have sprung a bit of a surprise with Gakpo starting on the right and Munoz on the left.

Reports continue to swirl about Gakpo being sold, but with Bradley Barcola set to come in on the left, could Gakpo actually stay and be the starter on the right wing?

It would certainly make Liverpool even stronger in attack.

Something to keep a close eye on today...

If you look at the head-to-head record between these teams, Forest have become a bogey team for Liverpool.

In the last four league meetings Forest are unbeaten, winning on each of their last two trips to Anfield by an aggregate score of 4-0.

Perhaps this poor record against Forest points to Liverpool’s ongoing struggles to defend counter attacks?

It seems like Forest just match up quite well against Liverpool, which is something forIraola to be wary of today.

But Iraola is unbeaten in six against Forest, so maybe his high-pressing tactics will change Liverpool’s fortunes?

Oliver Glasner has named his Forest starting lineup and he’s gone with his usual 3-4-2-1 system once again.

Igor Jesus leads the line with new signing Liam Delap on the bench.

McAtee and Schlager are the two central midfielders with Gibbs-White and Ndoye providing creativity from attacking midfield.

Forest’s bench is looking pretty strong as Wood, Delap and Hudson-Odoi can do some serious damage off the bench.

Nottingham Forest starting lineup

Sels; Cunha, Milenkovic, Murillo; Aina, Schlager, Gibbs-White, Williams; McAtee, Ndoye; Igor Jesus

Liverpool have made a couple of chances to their starting lineup and one of them is a surprise.

In come Alexis Mac Allister for Ryan Gravenberch and Victor Munoz for Rio Ngumoha.

Gravenberch is Liverpool’s main holding midfielder but instead of starting him and a more defensive player around him, Iraola has doubled down with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai starting as the center mids.

Munoz starts after his impressive minutes off the bench against Newcastle, with teenager Ngumoha dropping to the bench.

This could also be Cody Gakpo’s final appearance in a Liverpool shirt as he continues to be linked with a move to Spurs and Manchester City.

Liverpool starting lineup confirmed

Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Munoz, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Liverpool have reportedly agreed a transfer fee of over $160 million with PSG for French winger Bradley Barcola as excitement at Anfield builds.

Where will Barcola fit in? Is he the right fit?

He will start on the left and that will be his spot for the foreseeable future. Barcola also loves to drift inside and that should work well with Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz all liking to roam.

Barcola was the often the odd man out at PSG with their incredible array of attacking talents. He deserved to go somewhere and be the main man and that is what he will be at Liverpool.

He fits Iraola’s high-pressing style really well and will get plenty of chances to use his pace and direct running on the counter and his clinical finishing will be on full display as Liverpool press opponents into making mistakes.

On paper Barcola to Liverpool makes absolutely perfect sense. It will be very exciting to see how it all works out in the weeks and months to come.

How to watch Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 7:30am ET Saturday, August 29
Venue: Anfield — Liverpool
TV Channel: USA
Stream link: Watch online via USA

Oliver Glasner worked miracles at Palace in recent years in a 3-4-2-1 system with a team which is built to counter attack.

Nottingham Forest are about as similar a team as you can get to Palace in the Premier League, so Glasner should be able to plug and play and succeed again. Right?

Obviously it isn’t that easy but this managerial appointment made perfect sense and now Glasner has to prove his counter-attacking style can work at Forest. Quickly.

We know their owner struggles for patience but Glasner has proven he can deliver. He won the FA Cup, Conference League and Community Shield with Palace and his system works so well with the correct players.

Forest have their new No. 9 in Liam Delap and speedy wingers who will relish playing under Glasner.

Given how open Liverpool looked defensively on the counter last weekend, the Austrian coach will fancy his chances of leading Forest to an upset win today.

Iraola’s opening Premier League game in charge of Liverpool showcased exactly what this rollercoaster ride is going to be about.

Plenty of high-pressing, attacking football and goals. But also plenty of counter attacks and transition problems for their defense.

Iraola has admitted Liverpool most find better balance and to be fair, this has been a problem for them long before he arrived.

Another true holding midfielder is probably needed alongside Gravenberch in midfield but Iraola will stick to his principles and Liverpool will go for it in most games.

It will be intriguing to see how Iraola tweaks things today as Liverpool aim to give their defense much more protection than they did at Newcastle last weekend.