Liverpool held by Forest as Munoz rescues Iraola on Anfield debut

Andoni Iraola avoided defeat in his first match as Liverpool manager at Anfield as Victor Munoz scored a late deflected equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest in a thrilling Premier League encounter.

Forest had looked set to win at Anfield for a third successive season after taking the lead twice through Dan Ndoye and a Morgan Gibbs-White penalty. Alexander Isak levelled for Liverpool shortly after half-time, but Gibbs-White restored the visitors’ advantage from the spot.

Munoz then intervened late, sending a deflected effort into the net to earn Iraola a second draw in as many matches since taking charge.

The result leaves both Iraola and Oliver Glasner still waiting for their first victories in charge. Forest, who failed to score in their opening two games under Glasner, created enough opportunities to believe they could have taken all three points.

Liverpool’s defensive problems were exposed throughout the match. Jeremy Jacquet made an excellent last-ditch block to prevent Igor Jesus from scoring, while Ndoye headed narrowly wide before Forest eventually went ahead in the 24th minute.

Liverpool were badly exposed by a long ball forward. Jesus was initially dispossessed as he advanced towards goal, but Gibbs-White collected possession and supplied Ndoye, who calmly found the far corner.

Florian Wirtz again produced moments of quality without controlling the game. The Germany international thought he had brought Liverpool level, only for the goal to be ruled out because Jeremie Frimpong was offside in the build-up.

Forest almost doubled their lead before the interval, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson produced an important save to deny Ndoye in stoppage time.

The hosts improved after the break, with Cody Gakpo continuing to look like their most effective forward despite speculation that his future could be affected by the expected arrival of Bradley Barcola.

Liverpool have reportedly been close to completing a £106m deal for the Paris Saint-Germain winger, with the fee potentially rising by another £17m. Barcola has been one of Liverpool’s main targets for several months, and the club will hope to have him available when they next play at Ipswich on Friday.

Gakpo made a decisive contribution to Liverpool’s equaliser on the hour. His precise cross gave Isak a straightforward opportunity, and the Sweden international tapped the ball home to make it 1-1.

Liverpool’s momentum was short-lived. A quickly taken throw-in from Forest’s new signing Liam Delap caught the home defence unprepared. Neco Williams was then brought down by Alisson, who had rushed from his goal to deal with the danger.

Gibbs-White made no mistake from the penalty spot, sending Alisson the wrong way to put Forest back in front.

Iraola responded by using his substitutes in search of another equaliser. His decision to keep Munoz on the pitch while replacing Gakpo was rewarded in the closing stages.

Wirtz found a narrow opening with a carefully threaded pass, allowing the Spanish international to shoot. Munoz’s effort struck the crossbar and went in off a deflection to complete the scoring.

Liverpool had spent a record £450m on new signings 12 months ago, but the investment again produced limited returns. Full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were substituted, while Isak and Wirtz struggled to provide the influence expected of players signed for substantial fees.

The result also offered a reminder of the challenge facing Iraola, who had hoped for a special occasion on his first visit to the dugout at Liverpool’s iconic home.

Arne Slot guided Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title in the 2024-25 campaign, but was dismissed after the club finished fifth last season. Iraola was appointed as his replacement and has now overseen two draws, with Munoz rescuing a point in both matches.