Forest takes early advantage at Anfield
Nottingham Forest secured an early lead against Liverpool at Anfield, with Dan Ndoye scoring the opening goal. The visitors displayed a strong start, maintaining possession and creating several dangerous opportunities in the initial minutes of the match. Ndoye’s goal, a superb finish into the bottom right corner, marked his first Premier League goal since the beginning of the previous season. The play originated from a pass by Gibbs-White, culminating in Ndoye’s precise shot that left Alisson with no chance.
Prior to the goal, Forest had shown considerable attacking intent. Igor Jesus and Ndoye combined effectively down the inside-left channel, though Jacquet intervened to clear the danger. Ndoye also had an earlier attempt, heading wide from a cross by James McAtee, indicating Forest’s consistent threat.
The home crowd at Anfield, initially vibrant, grew quieter as Forest asserted their dominance. Liverpool, meanwhile, struggled to register a shot on target in the opening phase of the game, a rare occurrence for the club in recent seasons. This marked only the third instance since the start of the last season that Liverpool had failed to record a shot on goal within the first 15 minutes of a Premier League match.
Liverpool’s attempts and disallowed goal
Liverpool attempted to respond, with Szoboszlai trying to create opportunities. He slalomed through the middle before passing to Kerkez on the left, but Kerkez’s cross was easily cleared. Later, Szoboszlai shot after a cut-back from Frimpong, but Schlager blocked the attempt, leading to groans from the home supporters.
A significant moment occurred when Florian Wirtz appeared to score an equalizer for Liverpool. Wirtz raced onto a pass from Frimpong and fired into the bottom left corner, prompting celebrations at Anfield. However, the goal was disallowed due to Frimpong being offside in the build-up. Replays showed Frimpong was slightly offside when retrieving Wirtz’s initial miscontrol, with his ankle ahead of Aina.
Despite the disallowed goal, Liverpool continued to press. Gakpo, who had been quiet, delivered a cross from the right that Wirtz headed goalwards, forcing a spectacular tip-over from Forest goalkeeper Sels. Liverpool’s efforts to break through Forest’s defense were met with a disciplined low block from the visitors, who aimed to counter-attack.
Managerial perspectives and pre-match atmosphere
Before the match, Liverpool’s head coach, Andoni Iraola, spoke about his expectations for the team’s performance at Anfield. He emphasized the importance of players demonstrating desire, energy, and commitment, stating that fans should feel the players are doing everything they would themselves. Iraola’s side was looking for a winning start to their home matches for the 2026-27 season, following a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle United on the opening weekend.
The atmosphere at Anfield before kick-off included tributes. Fans remembered the legendary Kevin Keegan, with a mosaic on the Kop reading “KEVIN 7” and a chant of “One Kevin Keegan.” Forest fans also laid flowers at the Hillsborough memorial to pay their respects. The match saw Liverpool in all red, while Forest wore a third-choice shirt.
Oliver Glasner, Forest’s manager, commented on the challenge of playing at Anfield, acknowledging Liverpool’s strength at home. He noted that both teams might be in a similar phase with new managers and ideas still settling. Glasner’s team has been in strong form, with Ally McCoist on TNT Sports praising Forest’s defensive effort and organization, describing them as a “tight unit” in the first 40 minutes of the game.
The match saw Igor Jesus receive a yellow card for a late challenge on Mac Allister, and three minutes were added to the first half. Liverpool’s struggle to find a way through Forest’s defense was a recurring theme, with Murillo nearly gifting Liverpool an equalizer by losing the ball in a dangerous position, only for Williams to intervene.
Liverpool has a strong record in their first home game of the Premier League season, winning 12 of the last 13 and drawing the other 1-1 with Crystal Palace in 2022-23. They have remained unbeaten in their first Anfield match of a league campaign since 2003-04.
The game began with Forest confidently hogging possession for the first couple of minutes, setting the tone for their early lead.
Source: theguardian.com