Nottingham Forest secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw away to Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in a match overshadowed by a touchline controversy. The Reds twice took the lead but were denied a famous win by a late equaliser from Liverpool's home debutant Victor Munoz.
Dan Ndoye gave Nottingham Forest a first-half lead, finishing a well-worked move to stun the home crowd. Alexander Isak levelled for Liverpool on the hour mark, but Forest regained the lead from the penalty spot in the 70th minute. Morgan Gibbs-White converted after Neco Williams was brought down by goalkeeper Alisson Becker, the chance created by a quick throw-in from Liam Delap. Liverpool's second equaliser came from summer signing Victor Munoz, who fired home in the 82nd minute on his Anfield debut following his arrival from Osasuna.
Referee Sam Barrott's decision to award the penalty was correct, but the build-up infuriated Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola. Iraola wanted to make changes about three minutes before the incident, but the fourth official experienced technical issues with the substitutes' board. Play continued through several stoppages without the changes being made.
The Liverpool boss was left seeking his first win in charge after the frustrating sequence. "I don't have an explanation. I wanted to make those subs about three minutes before," Iraola said. His team now has two points from their opening two Premier League games, having also drawn 2-2 at Newcastle the previous week. For Nottingham Forest, the point leaves them 13th in the Premier League table with one point from two matches, a record of zero wins, one draw and one loss. They have scored two goals and conceded three so far this season.
Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner had conflicting emotions after the final whistle. "We're very proud of the performance, the way we played, the number of chances we created and scoring two goals, but we're frustrated and disappointed about the result," Glasner said. He believed his side could and should have won the game, noting that their defending lost some sharpness from the 60-65 minute mark onwards. Glasner is also awaiting his first victory since taking charge at the City Ground.
The draw means Forest are now five points behind early leaders Manchester City in the title race. They will look to secure that elusive first win when they host Tottenham Hotspur in their next fixture on September 5th. Tottenham currently sit 20th in the table, making it a significant opportunity for Forest.
The team must prepare for that match without the injured Ibrahima Sangare and Nicolas Savona. Building on a resilient performance at Anfield will be key, especially with the need to convert positive displays into three points. The current standings show the team is in a congested part of the table, and a win against Tottenham could provide a vital early-season boost.
