Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Iraola and Glasner Clash at Anfield

Anfield gets the early kick-off on Saturday, and it comes with a familiar subplot on the touchline. Andoni Iraola against Oliver Glasner again. Liverpool against Nottingham Forest again. Two managers who know each other’s habits almost too well.

The game kicks off at 12:30 and will be shown live on TNT Sports 1.

Liverpool searching for lift-off

Liverpool arrive with only one point from their opening Premier League outing, sitting 10th in the table. The numbers are modest, the expectations anything but.

Iraola’s side drew 2-2 with Newcastle last time out, a wild contest that showed as much promise as it did vulnerability. Liverpool’s attack looked sharp, their structure less so, and Anfield will demand a more ruthless edge this time.

The last meeting between these sides ended 1-0 to Liverpool. That narrow margin will linger in Forest minds. For Iraola, it’s a reminder that dominance still has to be turned into goals.

He does at least have a clear template. The predicted XI is almost a carbon copy of the one that faced Newcastle:

Liverpool predicted XI
Alisson Becker; Jeremie Frimpong, Jérémy Jacquet, Virgil Van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Rio Ngumoha; Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak.

It’s a side built to play on the front foot, with pace and creativity across the pitch and a spine anchored by Van Dijk and Alisson. Wirtz between the lines, Isak leading the line, Szoboszlai driving from midfield – on paper, it’s a team that should not be hanging around mid-table for long.

But Iraola has problems to juggle.

Liverpool unavailable
Joe Gomez – injury
Conor Bradley – injury
Hugo Ekitiké – injury
Giovanni Leoni – injury

Defensive depth is stretched, which only raises the stakes on Van Dijk’s leadership and Jacquet’s composure.

Forest arrive under pressure

Nottingham Forest travel to Anfield with no points on the board and sit 13th, their season already feeling a little uneasy. Glasner’s team are coming off two straight defeats and two games without a win. The slide is small in size, big in significance this early in the campaign.

Their most recent outing, a 2-0 loss to Leeds United in the Carabao Cup, did nothing to ease the tension. Goals have dried up, confidence has dipped, and now comes Anfield.

Glasner’s likely response? Tighten up, stay compact, and trust his more technical players to find moments on the break.

Nottingham Forest predicted XI
Matz Sels; Jair Cunha, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Ola Aina; James McAtee, Ibrahim Sangaré, Neco Williams; Morgan Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus, Dan Ndoye.

There’s energy in wide areas, physicality at the back, and creativity through Gibbs-White. Sangaré offers steel in midfield, while McAtee brings a different kind of subtlety. If Forest can survive the early Anfield surge, that front line has enough pace to trouble Liverpool in transition.

They’ll have to do it with a couple of absentees of their own.

Nottingham Forest unavailable
Ryan Yates – injury
Nicolò Savona – injury

Yates’ absence in particular robs Forest of a familiar heartbeat in midfield.

A dugout duel with history

If there’s a quiet confidence in the away dressing room, it might come from the man in charge. Glasner knows how to navigate these occasions against Liverpool. Across seven meetings with the club, he has three wins, two draws and just two defeats. He has taken on the Anfield noise before and found ways to mute it.

Iraola, though, has his own track record to lean on. Against Nottingham Forest, he is unbeaten in six matches: three wins, three draws. He has seen Forest’s shape, tested their resilience, and usually found a route through.

Between the two managers, history suggests a tight contest rather than a one-sided script. Iraola and Glasner have met five times, with Iraola unbeaten: two wins and three draws. Their games tend to be tense, tactical and decided by fine margins.

Fine margins at Anfield

Forest’s form line is stark: two consecutive defeats, two games without a win. Liverpool’s is less dramatic but still uncomfortable for a club of their stature. One point, 10th place, and a fanbase expecting a surge, not a stumble.

The last time these sides met, Liverpool edged it 1-0. A single goal, a small gap.

Now, with Iraola chasing lift-off and Glasner desperate to stop the slide, the question is simple: who blinks first at Anfield?