Forest scored their first two goals of the season at Anfield, and Liverpool still have not won under Iraola

Nottingham Forest had not scored a goal all season when they arrived at Anfield on Saturday. They left having scored two, and Liverpool are still waiting for their first win under Andoni Iraola. It finished 2-2, and Liverpool were behind for most of it.

Ndoye scored the goal Forest had been missing

Dan Ndoye put Forest ahead in the 24th minute, taking a lay-off from Morgan Gibbs-White and hitting it first time past Alisson. Oliver Glasner’s first two matches in charge had both been against Leeds United at the City Ground, a 1-0 league defeat and a 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat, and Forest had not scored in either. It took them 24 minutes at Anfield.

They should have had more. Forest created the better chances before the break and Liverpool went in a goal down, and the one time they did put the ball in the net it was taken off them. Florian Wirtz turned in a Jeremie Frimpong pass just past the half-hour, and VAR ruled that Frimpong had been offside when he received it, which took the whole move with it.

Ndoye’s afternoon ended in the 65th minute, and the man who replaced him was the reason Forest broke their transfer record on Thursday. Liam Delap came on for his debut, three days after signing from Chelsea for a fee reported at 45 million pounds plus five in add-ons. Anfield with your new team a goal up is not the worst introduction a striker has had.

Alisson gave away the penalty, and an old Liverpool player won it

Alexander Isak had levelled it by then. Cody Gakpo pulled a low ball back from the right in the 60th minute and Isak turned it in with his left foot, and for about ten minutes Anfield sounded like a place where Liverpool were going to win a football match.

Then Alisson came for a challenge with Neco Williams inside his own box and did not get there. The referee gave the penalty, booked the goalkeeper, and Gibbs-White put it away in the 70th minute. Williams came through Liverpool’s academy and played 33 first-team matches for the club before Forest signed him in 2022. He did not take the kick himself. He just went and won it at the ground where he learned the game.

Two games, two draws, two comebacks

Víctor Muñoz saved it. Ronald Araújo and Wirtz worked the ball into the area in the 82nd minute, Muñoz took a touch and drove it low past Matz Sels, and Liverpool had the point that keeps the season from getting loud early.

This is now the pattern of Iraola’s Liverpool. He drew 2-2 at Newcastle on the opening weekend, coming from behind twice to do it, and he has drawn 2-2 at home coming from behind again. Two matches, two points, no wins, and a team that has spent large parts of both games chasing the game rather than running it. Liverpool sit 10th. Forest are 12th, and Glasner is still looking for his first win too.

Iraola inherited a side that finished fifth last season, and on Saturday he was without Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni. Two games is not a verdict on anything. It is still two games in which his team have been second best for long stretches and have been rescued twice by a late goal.

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