Summer Signing Rides to the Rescue as Liverpool Edge Past Nottingham Forest

Liverpool were forced to come from behind twice in a 2–2 stalemate with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with Alexander Isak and Victor Muñoz both finding the net in a frantic encounter.

Andoni Iraola's competitive debut in the Anfield home dugout was far from straightforward, as Forest went into the break with a well-earned lead. Dan Ndoye broke the deadlock midway through the half, capitalizing on sloppy defending from the hosts, and only a stunning Alisson save stopped the visitors from extending their advantage.

Florian Wirtz's disallowed offside effort was the closest Liverpool had come before the interval, but last summer's other marquee arrival did manage to briefly level things up. Isak applied the finishing touch to Cody Gakpo's delivery to bring the scores level.

Forest retook the lead in the 70th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White converted from the penalty spot, but Liverpool fought back once more. Summer signing Muñoz hammered in a second equalizer to claim a hard-earned point in a game that bore a striking resemblance to their Premier League curtain-raiser against Newcastle United.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

There were recurring problems throughout the pitch for Liverpool on Saturday, but perhaps the most concerning was the continued invisibility of record signing Alexander Isak in the opening half. Following a subdued showing on his return to St. James' Park the previous weekend, another low-key display only intensified scrutiny on the 26-year-old.

Isak registered just six touches in a forgettable first half, with only two of those coming inside Forest's box. Unable to carve out any room against a disciplined defensive unit, he was left completely cut off from his teammates. While he could have been more assertive in his movement off the ball, he was undeniably let down by a lack of service.

That service finally arrived around the hour mark when, for the first time in a Liverpool shirt, Isak was handed a straightforward tap-in opportunity. Cody Gakpo was the creator, turning his defender and whipping a precise cross to the back post. True to his instincts as a natural goalscorer, the Swede was perfectly positioned and made no mistake from barely four yards out.

Liverpool still require considerably more from their striker, particularly with Hugo Ekitiké facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but perhaps scoring in front of the Kop can spark his campaign into life.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—5.8: A breathtaking reflex save kept Liverpool within reach of their opponents just before the break, but his reckless challenge on Neco Williams handed Forest a penalty kick.

RB: Jeremie Frimpong—7.1: Frimpong's work rate is beyond question, but the Dutch international's poor delivery continues to be a concern. He'll need to sharpen his crossing in training ahead of next week.

CB: Jérémy Jacquet—8.1: Commanding, tenacious, ambitious and precise in his passing—qualities Liverpool sorely missed with Ibrahima Konaté in their backline last season.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.4: Igor Jesus & Co. made things uncomfortable for Van Dijk, who turned in a decent but unremarkable display.

LB: Milos Kerkez—7.0: Aside from a handful of well-timed interventions, this was another characteristically inconsistent outing from Kerkez. Plenty of heart, but lacking in composure.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.0: Preferred over Ryan Gravenberch in the starting lineup and brought some welcome aggression to the midfield—though it frequently came at the cost of a foul.

CM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.8: Yet to replicate the match-defining influence he regularly delivered last season when deployed in a deeper role.

RW: Cody Gakpo—7.4: Moved to the right flank due to a lack of options and, much like Rio Ngumoha the week before, struggled to make a meaningful impact beyond his assist.

AM: Florian Wirtz—7.7: Unlucky to have a well-taken first-half finish chalked off for offside in the build-up, before testing Matz Sels with a powerful header shortly after. Contributed to both Liverpool goals, including an assist for Muñoz.

LW: Victor Muñoz—7.8: Pressed and probed in the final third with impressive energy and eventually got his Liverpool career off the mark with a composed finish in the dying stages.

ST: Alexander Isak—7.3: Largely peripheral, but still managed to score his fifth Liverpool goal with a clinical poacher's finish.

SUB: Ryan Gravenberch (71' for Frimpong)—6.3: Injected some fresh legs into a fatigued midfield.

SUB: Rio Ngumoha (71' for Gakpo)—6.1: Failed to make an impact from the bench, even when deployed on his natural left side.

SUB: Kostas Tsimikas (71' for Kerkez)—6.0: Solid after coming on.

SUB: Ronald Araújo (77' for Jacquet)—6.3: Received a yellow card for a cynical foul.

SUB: Trey Nyoni (77' for Mac Allister)—6.5: Offered a few encouraging flashes of his developing talent.

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Wataru Endō, James McConnell, Lewis Koumas.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Another Frenetic Affair for Liverpool