Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Iraola Aims for First Win

Anfield gets the early kick-off on Saturday, and it already feels like a test of nerve.

Liverpool, with just a single point on the board, sit 10th in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest arrive in 13th, empty-handed in the league and stung by a midweek cup exit. The season is barely moving and yet both sides walk into a game that hums with early jeopardy.

Kick-off is at 12:30, live on TNT Sports 1. The scrutiny starts then.

Liverpool searching for a spark

Andoni Iraola’s first steps in charge have been lively but imperfect. Liverpool’s last outing, a 2-2 draw with Newcastle, showed both sides of his project: energy, aggression, creativity – and just enough looseness to cost them two points.

They led and chased, pressed and probed, but failed to close the door. One point, not three. One reminder that this is still a work in progress.

The expected XI underlines the new shape of this Liverpool side. Alisson Becker remains the anchor in goal, with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez offering thrust from full-back. Virgil Van Dijk lines up alongside Jérémy Jacquet at the heart of defence, a blend of authority and youth.

In midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch provide legs and incision, with Rio Ngumoha adding another layer of dynamism between the lines. Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak promise fluid movement and goals across the front.

It is a line-up built to dominate the ball and hurt teams in waves. Now it has to translate into wins.

Iraola will again be without Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitiké and Giovanni Leoni, all sidelined through injury. The absences bite into his defensive depth and attacking options, but the starting core looks strong enough to set a fierce tempo at Anfield.

Forest under pressure to respond

Nottingham Forest arrive with two straight defeats behind them and no win in their last two games. The latest blow came in the Carabao Cup, a 2-0 loss to Leeds United that cut short their run in that competition and left Oliver Glasner with more questions than answers.

Glasner’s side have yet to claim a point in the league. That alone sharpens the edge on this trip.

The predicted Forest XI suggests a slightly different look from the one that fell at Elland Road. Matz Sels keeps his place in goal. Jair Cunha, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Ola Aina are set to form the back line, with James McAtee and Ibrahim Sangaré offering steel and distribution in midfield.

Out wide and between the lines, Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White bring energy and creativity, while Igor Jesus and Dan Ndoye are tasked with stretching Liverpool’s defence and finishing the few chances that may come.

Forest will again be without Ryan Yates and Nicolò Savona through injury, trimming Glasner’s options in the centre of the pitch. With two defeats on the bounce and confidence fragile, the visitors must find resilience quickly in one of the league’s most unforgiving arenas.

Tactical subplots and familiar faces

There is a quiet intrigue in the dugouts. Iraola and Glasner know each other well: five meetings, with Iraola unbeaten – two wins and three draws. The Spaniard also holds a strong record against Nottingham Forest in general, with three wins and three draws from six encounters.

Glasner, though, has history with Liverpool. Seven clashes, three wins, two draws, two defeats. He has found ways to trouble this club before, and he will need every bit of that experience to steady Forest here.

The last time these two sides met, Liverpool edged it 1-0. A tight margin, a reminder that Forest can hang in and frustrate, even when outgunned on paper.

This time, the dynamics are different. Liverpool are trying to ignite a new era under Iraola, leaning on the flair of Wirtz, the movement of Gakpo, and the sharpness of Isak. Forest are trying to stop a slide before it becomes a pattern, relying on Sels’ shot-stopping, Sangaré’s presence, and Gibbs-White’s invention.

Early-season stakes at Anfield

Strip away the calendar and this feels bigger than a routine August fixture.

Liverpool need to turn promise into points, to show that the chaos of the Newcastle draw was a stepping stone, not a warning sign. Forest need to halt the losing run, to prove that the Leeds defeat was a jolt, not a spiral.

Anfield will expect a response from the home side. Forest will try to turn that expectation into anxiety.

By the final whistle, we will know more: is Iraola’s Liverpool ready to climb, or is Glasner about to rip up the early script and drag Forest’s season back on track in the most unlikely of venues?