Liverpool avoids first home defeat
Liverpool - AFP - Spanish coach Andoni Iraola avoided defeat in his debut at Anfield as Liverpool manager, saving his compatriot Victor Munoz’s “Reds” from a loss by drawing 2-2 with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Forest were on course for a third consecutive victory at Anfield, having taken the lead twice: first through Swiss midfielder Dan Ndoye (24th minute), and then via a penalty converted by Morgan Gibbs-White (70th minute).
Swedish striker Alexander Isak (60th minute) briefly brought Iraola’s side back into the contest in the second half, before Munoz secured a late, deserved point with a goal that took a deflection before entering the net (82nd minute). This marked Iraola’s second consecutive match since taking charge in which his team avoided defeat.
Iraola said he had hoped for a special occasion on his first match in charge at the club’s historic home, but instead received a reminder of the reasons he was given the opportunity to replace the sacked Arne Slot.
The Dutch manager had led Liverpool to their 20th English league title, equalling Manchester United’s record, during the 2025 season, but was dismissed after the team finished fifth last season.
The record £450 million spent on new signings over the past 12 months is still yielding limited returns. Full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have been replaced, while Isak and German forward Florian Wirtz continue to struggle to justify the large fees paid for their acquisitions.
Liverpool also remain defensively fragile. Forest, who failed to score in their first two matches under Austrian coach Oliver Glasner, created numerous chances.
In another match, Everton secured a valuable draw away at hosts Bournemouth, 1-1. Alex Scott opened the scoring for the hosts (41st minute), and captain James Tarkowski gifted the visitors an equalizer in the dying moments (90+1st minute).
Manchester United face a crucial match against Ipswich Town today, in the same round, amid early pressure following their surprising 2-0 defeat to Hull City in the opening round.
United need a quick victory to regain confidence and avoid falling into an early crisis, while Ipswich arrive with high spirits after a 2-1 win over Sunderland thanks to a late goal. The visitors hope to exploit the anxiety of the home side and replicate the opening round’s surprises.
Chelsea and Brighton meet in a strong clash, as both teams won their opening matches. Chelsea began the season with a 3-2 victory over Fulham, showcasing clear attacking strength but defensive vulnerabilities. Brighton, meanwhile, delivered one of the strongest opening-day results by thrashing Aston Villa 4-0, topping the table, making this encounter a true test of both teams’ ambitions.
Leeds United face Brentford, with the home side entering the match on high spirits after a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the opening round. Brentford, meanwhile, produced one of the standout results of the opening weekend by defeating Tottenham 3-0.
