Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest: Muñoz rescues a point, but Slot still waits for lift-off

Liverpool drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest at Anfield on Saturday, and the table already tells the story with brutal clarity: A. Slot’s side have opened the Premier League season with two draws, four goals scored, four conceded, and not enough control where it matters.

Forest led twice. Liverpool replied twice. That is the headline, but it also flatters neither side. S. Dyche arrived with a 3-4-2-1 built for Anfield survival and almost left with more than a point. Liverpool had 70% of the ball, 626 passes, and the territorial command. Forest had the better expected goals figure, 2.30 to Liverpool’s 1.61, and repeatedly found space close to goal.

For Slot, this was another incomplete document: plenty of possession, flashes of quality, but no clean edge.

Forest’s opening came in the 24th minute, with Dan Ndoye scoring from Morgan Gibbs-White’s assist. No decoration needed. It was a goal that changed the air inside Anfield, because Forest had not come just to block and wait. Dyche’s front line gave Liverpool problems, with Gibbs-White drifting into useful pockets and Ndoye carrying enough threat to keep the home back line honest.

Liverpool thought they had found a route back in the 32nd minute, but Florian Wirtz had a goal cancelled by VAR. That moment mattered. It delayed the surge, sharpened the frustration, and by the time Igor Jesus was booked in the 44th minute for a foul, the match had already become scrappier than Slot would have wanted.

The game’s discipline frayed after the interval. Ola Aina was booked in the 50th minute for a foul, Víctor Muñoz followed in the 54th minute for argument, and Wirtz was shown yellow in the 58th minute for a foul. Then Liverpool finally landed a proper blow.

Alexander Isak scored in the 60th minute, assisted by Cody Gakpo. It was the sort of goal Liverpool needed from their centre-forward: direct impact, score level, crowd back in the game. Gakpo’s contribution was just as important. He had two key passes before being withdrawn and gave Liverpool one of their clearer attacking links in a match where possession did not always become pressure.

Dyche moved first, sending Liam Delap on for Ndoye in the 66th minute. Four minutes later, Forest were ahead again. Alisson was booked in the 69th minute for argument after conceding the penalty, and Gibbs-White scored from the spot in the 70th minute. Gibbs-White was the decisive Forest figure: an assist in the 24th minute, a penalty in the 70th minute, and captain’s influence throughout. He did not need volume. He gave Forest the moments.

Slot’s response was immediate. In the 71st minute, Kostas Tsimikas replaced Miloš Kerkez, Ryan Gravenberch replaced Jeremie Frimpong, and Rio Ngumoha replaced Gakpo. Then, in the 77th minute, Ronald Araújo came on for Jérémy Jacquet and Trey Nyoni replaced Alexis Mac Allister. It was a full reset: fresh legs, more running through midfield, and more aggression in the final push.

There was still chaos. Araújo was booked in the 79th minute for a foul. But Liverpool found their equaliser in the 82nd minute, with Muñoz scoring from Wirtz’s assist. Wirtz had endured the cancelled goal in the 32nd minute and the yellow card in the 58th minute, yet still provided the pass for the goal that saved Liverpool from defeat. Muñoz, booked earlier in the 54th minute, ended as Liverpool’s rescue act.

Forest then protected the point. Luca Netz replaced Aina in the 86th minute. In the second minute of stoppage time, Callum Hudson-Odoi came on for James McAtee, and Nicolás Domínguez replaced Igor Jesus. Job almost done, deal not quite sealed.

Lineups and shapes

Liverpool, coached by A. Slot, started in a 4-2-3-1:
Alisson; Jeremie Frimpong, Jérémy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, Miloš Kerkez; Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister; Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Víctor Muñoz; Alexander Isak.

Nottingham Forest, coached by S. Dyche, started in a 3-4-2-1:
Matz Sels; Jair, Nikola Milenković, Murillo; Ola Aina, Xaver Schlager, James McAtee, Neco Williams; Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye; Igor Jesus.

The tactical contrast was clear. Liverpool wanted the ball, with Szoboszlai and Mac Allister trying to fix the rhythm and Wirtz operating between the lines. Forest accepted long spells without possession but kept their structure compact, then looked to Gibbs-White and Ndoye to give their breaks intelligence and bite.

Neco Williams was central to Forest’s plan. He finished with two key passes, six tackles, three blocks, and eight duels won from 12. That is not decoration; that is a serious away-game package. On the other side, Aina also gave Forest balance before going off in the 86th minute.

Liverpool’s best defender on the numbers was Jacquet, who won nine of 10 duels, made three interceptions, and completed 85 accurate passes before leaving in the 77th minute. Van Dijk carried the passing load with 113 total passes, but Forest still produced 11 shots inside the box. That is the concern for Slot.

Match stats

What it means

Liverpool are 11th after two matches, on 2 points, with a DD form line. It is early, but not invisible. Slot’s side are already chasing the clean authority expected from them, and this was a second straight draw that raised the same question: can they turn control into security?

Forest are 13th with 1 point from two matches, form DL, but this felt like a useful away point. Dyche’s side produced enough to justify the scoreline and maybe more, especially with Gibbs-White, Ndoye, and Williams giving them real personality at Anfield.

At the top, Manchester City and Hull City have both started with 6 points, while Newcastle moved to 4 after their result covered here: Two shots, two goals: Newcastle make wasteful Tottenham pay.

Liverpool now need the next match to bring more than possession. Forest leave with evidence that Dyche’s structure can travel. For Slot, the timeline is simple: performances can be explained in August, but points still count the same.