Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest: Muñoz snatches late leveller in Anfield thriller
By Ali Ammar · goals2026.org
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest served up a pulsating Matchweek 2 contest at Anfield, sharing four goals and a flurry of cards in a game that swung twice in Forest's favour before Víctor Muñoz struck late to salvage a 2-2 draw for the hosts. It was a result that will please the visitors more than the home crowd, given Liverpool's overwhelming territorial dominance, but Forest's resilience and clinical edge in front of goal ensured they left Merseyside with a share of the spoils.
Ndoye punishes Liverpool before VAR intervenes
Forest struck first against the run of expectation when Dan Ndoye finished smartly to put the away side ahead on 24 minutes, capping a bright start in which L. Delap had also caught the eye. Liverpool thought they had responded almost immediately when Florian Wirtz put the ball in the net just after the half-hour, but the goal was chalked off following a VAR review in the 32nd minute, leaving the German visibly frustrated as Forest held their advantage into the interval.
The half also became increasingly ill-tempered, with Igor Jesus booked on 44 minutes and Ola Aina following him into referee's notebook shortly after the restart. Liverpool's Víctor Muñoz and Wirtz both picked up yellow cards either side of the hour mark as the contest crackled with intensity, though at no stage did either side have a man dismissed.
Isak restores parity
Liverpool's pressure eventually told on 60 minutes when Alexander Isak found the net with a well-taken finish to draw the hosts level, a goal that reflected the home side's growing control of possession and continued a fine individual campaign for the Swede, who finished the afternoon with a match-high rating of 8.02. With Liverpool dominating the ball — they would end the match with 69 per cent possession — the goal seemed to signal a shift in momentum.
Gibbs-White's penalty stuns Anfield again
Forest, however, refused to be worn down. Dan Ndoye departed for his substitute on 66 minutes having played his part in the opener, and moments later Liverpool's goalkeeper Alisson Becker was shown a yellow card. From the resulting spot-kick, Morgan Gibbs-White kept his composure to slot home the penalty on 70 minutes and restore Forest's lead, a goal that also completed a goal-and-assist afternoon for the Forest playmaker.
Liverpool manager responded with a flurry of changes, sending on Cody Gakpo, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong together in the 71st minute, before further reinforcements arrived through Jérémy Jacquet and Alexis Mac Allister six minutes later. The changes injected fresh urgency into the home side's play, even as Ronald Araujo picked up a caution on 79 minutes for his part in the resulting scramble for territory.
Muñoz completes the comeback
The reshaped Liverpool attack found its reward in the 82nd minute when Víctor Muñoz converted to make it 2-2, with Gakpo credited with the assist. It was Muñoz's first goal of the tournament and could not have arrived at a more valuable moment for Liverpool, denying Forest what would have been a memorable victory at Anfield. Forest introduced Ola Aina to for a second appearance from the bench along with James Mcatee and Igor Jesus in stoppage time as they searched for a route back in front, but the visitors could not find a third breakthrough and had to settle for a point.
Stats and context
The numbers told the story of a game Liverpool dominated territorially without translating it fully into a victory: 13 shots to Forest's 12, with four on target against three, and three corners to Forest's five. Forest's goalkeeping department made two saves to Liverpool's one, underlining the visitors' efficiency at the other end. For the latest standings and fixtures from the Premier League, including this result, visit the fixtures page, while full coverage of this contest can be found on the match centre. For more from across the division, head to the news section.
Both sides will reflect on missed opportunities to claim all three points, but for Nottingham Forest in particular, twice leading at Anfield represents a highly encouraging marker so early in the season. Liverpool, for their part, will take confidence from a spirited late rally led by their substitutes, even if questions remain about their vulnerability to Forest's counter-attacking threat.