Alexander Isak brought Liverpool back level against Nottingham Forest at Anfield, converting Cody Gakpo’s low delivery shortly after the hour as the new home manager, Andoni Iraola, searched for his first win in front of the Kop.
Forest had led through Dan Ndoye, though one live report rendered the scorer’s surname as Nodye. The broader picture was clear across the updates: Forest had earned their advantage and had opportunities to put the contest beyond Liverpool before Isak intervened.
The reports were live and did not establish a final result. They did, however, show a match in which Liverpool’s attacking talent eventually found an answer while their vulnerability without the ball remained the more troubling theme.
Forest’s counter-attacks caused repeated problems
Liverpool entered the second half trailing and fortunate not to be further behind. Forest repeatedly found routes around or through the home side when possession changed hands, with Ndoye especially prominent down his flank.
One move should have produced a second Forest goal. Ndoye created a ball across the penalty area, but Morgan Gibbs-White did not arrive to finish what appeared to be a straightforward opening. Earlier, Alisson had kept Liverpool in touch by diverting a close-range effort from Jesus onto the crossbar.
Those moments matter beyond the scoreline. Forest were not merely defending a lead in numbers; they were reaching Liverpool’s penalty area with enough clarity to expose the space left by the hosts’ attacking shape. Virgil van Dijk was reported to have forced Ndoye wide during another dangerous break, but even that sequence ended with a cross and an unmarked opportunity that Gibbs-White failed to take.
Iraola’s teams are generally expected to play with energy and aggression, but the match updates suggest Liverpool were caught between pressing high and recovering their defensive structure. That is a difficult balance against a side prepared to release runners quickly, and Forest seemed willing to test it at every turnover.
Gakpo supplies the moment Isak needed
Isak’s finish was simple; its construction was not. Gakpo used his strength to escape Neco Williams and created room to send the ball across the six-yard area, allowing the striker to arrive at the far post and convert.
It was an important response from a forward who had endured a quiet opening to the match. The live coverage described a number of imprecise moments from Isak before the goal, including a misplaced pass when Florian Wirtz had found him in space. Yet centre-forwards are often judged on the decisive action, and this was precisely the sort of movement Liverpool require from their marquee attacker: staying available through an underwhelming spell, then attacking the scoring zone at the right instant.
The goal also underlined the potential of Liverpool’s left-sided combinations. Wirtz had looked to connect with Isak earlier, while Gakpo’s physicality and direct running provided the breakthrough. Reports indicated that a planned Gakpo substitution was reconsidered after the assist, a sensible reaction given his influence on the equaliser.
A draw would not answer Liverpool’s bigger question
The equaliser changed the emotional direction of the match, but not necessarily its diagnosis. Liverpool had begun to create more as the first half progressed, only for Forest to remain the more incisive side whenever they broke forward. Dominik Szoboszlai was unable to impose himself consistently, while Jeremie Frimpong’s deliveries were reported to have been repeatedly cut out.
That left Liverpool relying on individual quality rather than a sustained attacking rhythm. There is no issue with match-winners deciding tight games, but the stronger indicator for Iraola will be whether the side can prevent opponents from generating the type of chances Forest had before the interval.
Forest, meanwhile, will take encouragement from how their plan functioned away from home. Their lead was deserved on the evidence of the updates, and the missed chances from Gibbs-White and Jesus may be more frustrating than Isak’s eventual intervention. Liam Delap was introduced after Ndoye’s goal, offering another option as Forest sought to retain an attacking threat rather than simply protect their position.
The match had become a test of composure after Isak’s leveller. Liverpool had rediscovered belief at Anfield, but Forest had already shown that they could pierce the home side’s defensive line. Whether Iraola’s first home victory followed depended on Liverpool turning that momentum into control — and, just as importantly, removing the counter-attacking invitations that had put them behind.