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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest: Muñoz Rescues a Point at Anfield as Questions Remain

After90

Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest at Anfield, with Alexander Isak scoring before Víctor Muñoz struck late to rescue a Premier League point.

Liverpool’s first Premier League match at Anfield this season did not deliver the victory the home crowd expected.

The Reds were held to a 2–2 draw by Nottingham Forest, coming from behind twice before Víctor Muñoz struck in the 82nd minute to rescue a point for Andoni Iraola’s side.

Alexander Isak also opened his account for Liverpool, while Florian Wirtz provided the assist for the late equaliser. Yet the bigger story was familiar: Liverpool dominated possession without turning that control into a comparable advantage in chances, while Forest repeatedly found ways to threaten on the transition.

Reuters confirmed the final score and the key sequence of the four goals, with Muñoz’s late strike preventing Iraola from losing his first Premier League home match in charge.

Forest Strike First

Nottingham Forest arrived at Anfield with little interest in competing with Liverpool for long periods of possession.

Instead, they waited for opportunities to attack quickly — and their approach paid off in the 24th minute.

Morgan Gibbs-White supplied Dan Ndoye, who finished to give Forest a 1–0 lead.

Reuters described the move as a rapid counter-attack that developed from goalkeeper Matz Sels playing long before Gibbs-White eventually released Ndoye.

Liverpool thought they had found an equaliser later in the first half when Florian Wirtz put the ball into the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

The Reds continued to control the ball, but the match statistics tell an important story about how effective that possession actually was.

69% Possession — But Only One More Shot

According to After90’s verified match data, Liverpool finished with 69% possession, leaving Forest with just 31%.

On the surface, that looks like territorial domination.

The shot numbers tell a very different story.

StatisticLiverpoolNottingham Forest
Possession69%31%
Shots1312
Shots on target43
Corners35
Fouls1310
Yellow cards42
Red cards00

Despite having more than twice as much possession, Liverpool produced only one more shot than Forest.

They also registered only one additional effort on target, while Forest actually won more corners.

That may be the most revealing statistic of the afternoon.

Liverpool had plenty of the ball. They did not have the same level of control over the danger.

Isak Gets Liverpool Level

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 60th minute.

Cody Gakpo created the opportunity and Alexander Isak converted, bringing Liverpool level at 1–1.

Reuters reported that Gakpo escaped his marker before delivering a low ball across the area for Isak to finish.

It appeared to be the moment Liverpool needed.

With Anfield responding and Forest having surrendered their advantage, the expectation was that the home side would push on and turn their possession into a winning position.

Instead, ten minutes later, Liverpool were behind again.

Gibbs-White Restores Forest’s Lead

Forest were awarded a penalty after Alisson Becker committed a foul inside the area, with the Liverpool goalkeeper also shown a yellow card.

Morgan Gibbs-White converted from the spot in the 70th minute, restoring Forest’s advantage at 2–1.

Reuters reported that the penalty followed Alisson’s challenge on Neco Williams.

It was another frustrating moment for Liverpool because it came just as they appeared to have regained momentum.

The pattern was becoming increasingly clear: Liverpool could create enough quality to recover, but they were still offering Forest opportunities to disrupt that recovery.

Muñoz Announces Himself at Anfield

One of Iraola’s biggest decisions before kick-off was handing Víctor Muñoz his first full Premier League start.

Liverpool’s official team announcement confirmed that the Spanish forward replaced Rio Ngumoha in one of two changes from the draw at Newcastle, with Alexis Mac Allister also returning to the starting XI.

By the end of the afternoon, Muñoz had become the central figure.

In the 82nd minute, Florian Wirtz found him and Muñoz produced the finish that made it 2–2.

Reuters described the effort as a powerful strike that went in off the crossbar.

Liverpool could not find a third goal, but Muñoz had prevented defeat and turned his first league start at Anfield into a memorable one.

Liverpool’s own post-match report also highlighted Isak and Muñoz as the two goalscorers in the draw.

Wirtz Influential Without Getting His Goal

Florian Wirtz did not appear on the scoresheet, but his influence was obvious.

He had a first-half goal disallowed for offside and later supplied the assist for Muñoz’s equaliser.

He was also booked in the 58th minute.

It was a performance that perhaps reflected Liverpool’s afternoon as a whole: plenty of technical quality and promising attacking moments, but not quite enough consistent control to decide the match.

Forest Were More Than a Defensive Opponent

Looking only at possession could create the impression that Forest spent the afternoon defending their penalty area.

The numbers do not support that interpretation.

They attempted 12 shots to Liverpool’s 13 and produced three efforts on target compared with Liverpool’s four.

Forest also earned five corners to Liverpool’s three.

That is significant.

Forest were willing to concede possession, but they were not passive. Their ability to move forward quickly once Liverpool lost the ball ensured that the home team could never become completely comfortable.

The match therefore became less about whether Liverpool could dominate possession and more about whether they could prevent Forest from turning a small number of transitions into major moments.

They could not.

Iraola Turns to the Bench

Liverpool made significant changes as they chased the game.

In the 71st minute:

  • Rio Ngumoha replaced Cody Gakpo.
  • Kostas Tsimikas replaced Milos Kerkez.
  • Ryan Gravenberch replaced Jeremie Frimpong.

Then, in the 77th minute:

  • Ronald Araújo replaced Jérémy Jacquet.
  • Trey Nyoni replaced Alexis Mac Allister.

The equaliser followed five minutes after the second wave of changes.

Those substitutions gave Liverpool fresh energy for the closing stages, but Forest held on and prevented the comeback from becoming a complete turnaround.

Discipline Reflects a Frustrating Afternoon

Liverpool collected four yellow cards, compared with two for Nottingham Forest.

Muñoz, Wirtz, Alisson and Araújo were booked for the Reds, while Igor Jesus and Ola Aina went into the referee’s notebook for Forest.

The card count reflected how the match became increasingly uncomfortable for Liverpool as the afternoon progressed.

They were trying to force the result while simultaneously dealing with a Forest side that continued to threaten whenever the game became stretched.

Possession Still Needs an End Product

The central issue is not that Liverpool cannot attack.

They clearly can.

Isak scored. Muñoz scored. Wirtz had a goal disallowed and later delivered an assist. Gakpo created the first equaliser.

There is attacking quality throughout this team.

The question is how efficiently Liverpool can turn long periods of possession into sustained pressure.

69% possession producing 13 shots against an opponent who managed 12 with 31% of the ball is not the profile of complete dominance.

Forest were comfortable allowing Liverpool to circulate possession if it meant they could protect central areas and wait for opportunities to counter.

For Iraola, improving that relationship between possession and chance creation may be one of the most important tasks in the coming weeks.

Defensive Balance Remains Under Scrutiny

Liverpool’s attacking approach naturally requires players to commit forward.

The risk comes when possession is lost.

Forest’s opening goal demonstrated how quickly the match could change once Liverpool’s structure was exposed, while the penalty for the second goal added another avoidable moment to an already difficult afternoon.

The challenge for Iraola is therefore not to make Liverpool less adventurous.

It is to ensure that their aggression with the ball is supported by better protection when attacks break down.

There have already been signs of this problem early in the season. Liverpool also needed a recovery to draw 2–2 at Newcastle in their opening league match.

Two games, two draws, and two matches in which Liverpool have needed to recover from difficult positions.

That is becoming the early storyline of Iraola’s tenure.

Muñoz Is the Biggest Positive

If Liverpool needed something encouraging to take away from the result, Muñoz provided it.

His first full Premier League start ended with an 82nd-minute goal at Anfield.

There will inevitably be bigger tests ahead.

But scoring a late equaliser in front of the Kop is a strong way to introduce yourself.

Forest Continue to Make This Fixture Difficult

The recent head-to-head record already suggested that Nottingham Forest were becoming an increasingly uncomfortable opponent for Liverpool.

According to After90 data, the eight meetings before this game produced:

  • Liverpool: 4 wins
  • Draws: 1
  • Nottingham Forest: 3 wins

Forest had won 3–0 at Anfield in November 2025, while they also recorded a 1–0 victory there in September 2024.

Today’s draw adds another result to a fixture that can no longer be treated as routine from Liverpool’s perspective.

The Verdict

Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool had the ball.

Forest had the ability to hurt them without it.

Alexander Isak opened his account, Víctor Muñoz produced a memorable first Premier League start and Florian Wirtz continued to demonstrate why he can become such an important creative presence.

But the broader concerns remain.

Liverpool fell behind twice. Their 69% possession produced almost the same number of shots as Forest’s 31%. And for the second consecutive league match, Iraola’s team needed to recover rather than dictate the result.

There is enough attacking quality here to make Liverpool dangerous against almost anyone.

The next step is more difficult:

Turn possession into genuine control — and make sure attacking ambition does not continually leave the door open at the other end.

Sources