Iraola's Anfield Debut: Liverpool Aims for Victory Against Nottingham Forest

Andoni Iraola walks into Anfield for his first competitive home game as Liverpool manager with the noise already building around him. One match into the Premier League season and the questions have started.

Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle United on the opening weekend exposed familiar faults. The attack flickered but did not finish the job, the defence wobbled, and the overall performance lacked the ruthless edge the club expects. The criticism came quickly.

Yet the numbers told a more nuanced story. Liverpool generated an xG of 3.13 at St James’ Park, the second-highest of any Premier League side on the opening weekend. They created chances. Big ones. They just did not turn enough of them into goals, and they did not control the game well enough without the ball.

On Saturday, there is no hiding place. Nottingham Forest return to Anfield, the scene of last season’s bruising 3-0 away win, a result that still stings on Merseyside. Iraola cannot afford a repeat.

Same Faces, Higher Demands

The new era on the red side of Anfield is still waiting for its marquee arrival to walk through the door. The £100 million move for Bradley Barcola is not expected to be completed in time for this game, so Iraola will once again lean on the same group that drew at Newcastle.

That likely means another start for Rio Ngumoha and Florian Wirtz, though their places are far from guaranteed. Both were withdrawn on 63 minutes last weekend, and the manager has options. Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz are pushing hard to come into the XI, offering a different balance in midfield and between the lines.

On the right flank of the back line, Jeremie Frimpong has already felt the full force of scrutiny. His display at St James’ Park drew heavy criticism, his defensive positioning and decision-making repeatedly questioned. Yet Iraola’s hands are tied. With few natural alternatives at right-back, he may have to back Frimpong again and trust that the system, and the player, settle quickly.

Injuries restrict the manager elsewhere too. Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley remain several weeks away from a return. At centre-back, Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez are still unavailable, though that area of the pitch no longer feels as fragile as it did last season.

Summer signings Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo stepped into the cauldron at Newcastle and coped well. They were aggressive, tidy, and largely assured under pressure. Their performances hinted that Liverpool’s defensive unit might be more resilient this year, even with key names missing.

What Iraola needs now is a clean sheet to go with the data. A solid, controlled defensive display and a sharper edge in the final third would go a long way to quietening the early noise around his reign.

Forest Arrive Under Pressure of Their Own

If Liverpool’s start has been uncomfortable, Forest’s has been outright bleak.

Oliver Glasner, the FA Cup, Conference League and Charity Shield-winning coach appointed in the summer, has opened his Premier League campaign with back-to-back defeats to Leeds United – both at the City Ground, both damaging.

First came a 1-0 loss on the league’s opening weekend. Three days later, Leeds returned in the League Cup and left with a 2-0 win. Same ground, same opponent, same outcome. The mood around Forest darkened quickly.

Glasner has been quick to manage expectations, insisting he is “no messiah.” He inherits a squad with limitations and now, injury problems as well. Ryan Yates and Nicola Savona are both ruled out, stripping Forest of energy and presence in key areas.

The trip to Anfield, then, comes at a difficult moment. A new manager still bedding in his ideas, a team without a point in the league, and a fanbase looking for signs that this season will not slide into another survival scrap.

Yet Forest do not arrive empty-handed in terms of recent history. That 3-0 victory at Anfield last campaign is a powerful reference point. They know what it feels like to silence this stadium and punish Liverpool’s lapses. For Glasner, the challenge is to tap into that memory while trying to build something very different in his own image.

Stakes Rising Early

This is only the second league game of the season, but it already carries an edge.

For Liverpool, it is about control. About proving that the chaos of last season, and the fragility that allowed Forest to walk away with three goals and three points at Anfield, belongs to the past. Iraola’s side must show they can turn big xG into big wins, not just big talking points.

For Forest, it is about stopping the slide before it gathers speed. Three defeats in a week, including an early cup exit and a bruising trip to Anfield, would leave Glasner with a long, hard road ahead before autumn even arrives.

The bookmakers have nailed their colours to the mast. bet365 price Liverpool at 11/20 (1.55) to win, with Forest out at 19/4 (5.75). The odds tell one story. The recent history between these clubs at Anfield tells another.

Somewhere between those two lies the truth of where these teams really are – and where this season might be heading.