LIVERPOOL, England — “It’s happening again.” That was the cry from the Nottingham Forest supporters as they watched their team play out a hard-fought 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
While the chant was inspired by Forest’s recent aptitude for securing famous results at Anfield, it could just have easily been a description of the manner in which history keeps on repeating itself for Liverpool. By the end of Saturday’s Premier League contest, midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai had been deployed at right back as the Reds surged forwards in the hope of another late rescue act.
It was coach Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League game in the Anfield dugout, yet the problems that blighted Liverpool over the course of the afternoon seemed like a legacy of last season, when Arne Slot was made to pay with his job for a series of similarly disjointed displays.
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Forest arrived on Merseyside aware that, since their promotion to the Premier League in 2022, no side had picked up more wins in the competition against Liverpool than their three. Perhaps that knowledge emboldened them, with new manager Oliver Glasner’s side fashioning a number of early opportunities before Dan Ndoye gave them the lead with a cool finish into the bottom corner after 24 minutes.
For the second week in a row — after last Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle United — Liverpool found themselves with a mountain to climb. Last term, the Reds’ unerring ability to offer early encouragement to opponents cost them dearly. Of the 14 league games in which they conceded the first goal last term, they won only one, drawing two and losing 11.
One of the main reasons the club hierarchy identified Iraola as their top target to replace Slot was his ability to implement high-intensity, front-footed football which was more likely to get the Anfield faithful onside. Ultimately, though, there is no substitute for success at a club like Liverpool and Iraola will quickly learn the best way to curry favor with supporters is to win.
The simmering frustration inside the stadium at times on Saturday will certainly have conveyed that message to John Henry. Liverpool’s principal owner was watching from the director’s box alongside the club’s new vice-chairman, Amit Bhatia.
The Reds’ first-half disappointment was compounded when Florian Wirtz‘s strike was disallowed for Jeremie Frimpong‘s offside infringement in the buildup, before Víctor Muñoz lifted an effort over the bar.
Liverpool improved after the break and restored parity on the hour mark through their No. 9 Alexander Isak, who up until that point had largely been a bystander for the hosts. After he struggled to make an impact against former club Newcastle on the opening weekend, the Sweden international’s finish from close range following a superb cross from Cody Gakpo was one of the biggest positives of another chaotic afternoon for Liverpool.
“That’s the job ultimately as a striker,” Isak said of his goal to TNT Sports after the game. “Obviously I’m very happy to score the first one and hopefully it just keeps coming.”
However, just like at St James’ Park last week, the Reds’ momentum was halted by conceding another avoidable goal — this time a penalty from Morgan Gibbs-White after Neco Williams was clipped by Alisson Becker inside the box.
As a result, it fell to Muñoz to make himself the hero, rifling a thumping effort into the roof of the net after a fine pass from Wirtz. The goal was enough to spare Liverpool the ignominy of losing their first Anfield match of a league campaign since a 2-1 to Chelsea in 2003-04.
However, dating back to last season, Liverpool’s current six-game winless run is their longest since 2012. It’s a worrying statistic and one that is reflective of a team that very much remains a work in progress.
The impending arrival of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for the £123 million should help to elevate Liverpool’s attack, But, with three goals conceded in just two games, the Reds are still in need of a player who can strengthen their porous midfield, while right back also remains a huge problem.
“I cannot tell you anything right now but it is true that there are things going on and that is normal,” Iraola said when asked about Liverpool’s transfer business. “We are in the last weeks of the market and now we have to wait to see the squad that we will have on Sept. 2, and this is who we are.
“We will then work with certainties. Now everything is quite uncertain and the same for every team. But this is how the competition works. So now wait just some more days and we work with what we have after the market closes.”
The end of the transfer window on Tuesday should at least bring some certainty for Iraola and his squad. But, if Liverpool don’t stop falling into the same bad habits, no amount of splashing the cash will make this season a success.
