Liverpool and Nottingham Forest Settle for Draw in Premier League Clash
Liverpool managed a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest during Andoni Iraola’s inaugural home Premier League match as the new head coach.
The match showcased an exciting back-and-forth battle, reflecting a mixture of strong performances and areas needing improvement for both teams. Here’s how the players from each side were rated.
Liverpool
Alisson: Struggled to stop Dan Ndoye’s goal but delivered a crucial save against Igor Jesus right before half-time. Gave away a poor penalty for Morgan Gibbs-White’s goal. Rating: 5
Jeremie Frimpong: Faced challenges defensively but was proactive in attacking plays. Contributed to Florian Wirtz’s disallowed goal, but inconsistency marred his performance. Rating: 6
Jeremy Jacquet: Made a critical intervention to deny Igor Jesus an early score but had moments of sloppiness. Rating: 6
Virgil van Dijk: Will be disappointed with the defense, which allowed Ndoye to score too easily. Also contributed to the penalty awarded to Forest. Rating: 6
Milos Kerkez: Had a lackluster game and was careless with ball possession. Replaced by Kostas Tsimikas in the 71st minute. Rating: 5
Dominik Szoboszlai: Performed solidly, demonstrating better defensive awareness compared to previous matches. Rating: 6
Alexis Mac Allister: Returned to the starting lineup and played the assist for Cody Gakpo early on. Struggled physically against Igor Jesus leading up to the first Forest goal. Rating: 6
Cody Gakpo: Played effectively on the right side, contributing to crucial plays. Created chances for both Wirtz and Alexander Isak’s equalizer. Rating: 7
Florian Wirtz: Maintained a constant offensive threat, with a disallowed finish and a header that was thwarted by Matz Sels. Assisted Victor Munoz’s goal. Rating: 7
Victor Munoz: Made his first start for Liverpool, displaying direct play and scoring a stunning equalizer to salvage a point for his team. Rating: 7
Alexander Isak: Starved of touches in the first half, he found the net early in the second half, ultimately gaining confidence from his performance. Rating: 6
Subs:
- Tsimikas (on 71, Kerkez): Rating: 5
- Gravenberch (on 71, Frimpong): Rating: 5
- Ngumoha (on 71, Gakpo): Rating: 5
- Araujo (on 77, Jacquet): Rating: 5
- Nyoni (on 77, Mac Allister): Rating: 5
Unused Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, McConnell, Koumas.
Nottingham Forest
Matz Sels: Commanding presence on the field, his long kick set up Ndoye’s goal. Made a notable save against Wirtz but was outmatched on both equalizing goals by Liverpool. Rating: 5
Jair Cunha: Delivered a strong performance but will need to address better positioning, particularly on Isak’s goal. Rating: 6
Nikola Milenkovic: Part of a resolute defensive unit, challenging Liverpool’s attacks early in the game. Rating: 6
Murillo: Showcased bravery in possession but was beaten by Munoz’s impactful goal. Rating: 6
Ola Aina: Played assertively throughout, actively contributing in attack and nearly setting up a goal for Forest. Rating: 7
James McAtee: Seized opportunities following Elliot Anderson’s transfer and showed tidy control and solid deliveries all day. Rating: 7
Xaver Schlager: Step in for the injured Ibrahim Sangare, putting in a commendable performance despite early setbacks. Rating: 7
Neco Williams: Continually energetic, won a penalty which put Forest in the lead again, although he had some defensive lapses. Rating: 7
Dan Ndoye: Scored a remarkable first Premier League goal in 377 days with an impressive finish. Rating: 7
Morgan Gibbs-White: Provided an assist for Ndoye and confidently converted a penalty, enjoying a successful outing at Anfield. Rating: 8
Igor Jesus: Held the play well for his teammates and presented challenges for Liverpool’s defenders throughout the game. Rating: 7
Subs:
- Delap (on 66, Ndoye): Rating: 6
- Netz (on 86, Aina): Rating: 5
- Hudson-Odoi (on 90+2, McAtee): Rating: 5
- Dominguez (on 90+2, Igor Jesus): Rating: 5
Unused Subs: Victor, Diomande, Wood, Yates, Abbott.
How did you rate the players?
Liverpool drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest in Andoni Iraola’s first home Premier League game as their new head coach.
Here’s how I rated the players and you can see how you scored them below.
Liverpool
Alisson: Well beaten for Dan Ndoye’s goal but made a superb save to deny Igor Jesus on the brink of half-time and keep Liverpool in the game. Poor penalty to give away for Gibbs-White’s goal. 5
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Jeremie Frimpong: Struggled defensively but got into some good positions going forward. Did really well in the build-up to Florian Wirtz’s disallowed goal but was just offside. Has to improve consistency with his end delivery. 6
Jeremy Jacquet: Made a goal-saving challenge to deny Igor Jesus an early goal and was impressive but still had a few moments where he was slack and lacked discipline. 6
Virgil van Dijk: Will be furious with how easily the Liverpool backline was cut open for Ndoye’s opener and the ease with which Forest won their penalty. 6
Milos Kerkez: A poor display from the Liverpool left-back and was sloppy in possession. Replaced by Kostas Tsimikas in the 71st minute. 5
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Dominik Szoboszlai: Solid as usual and was much more alert defensively, compared to his display at Newcastle. 6
Alexis Mac Allister: Back in the starting XI and played a lovely reverse ball for Cody Gakpo early on. Couldn’t cope physically with Igor Jesus in the build up to Ndoye’s goal. 6
Cody Gakpo: Started down the right in what was potentially his last Liverpool appearance and was effective. Played a lovely ball for Wirtz, then did really well to create a chance for Victor Munoz. Didn’t do his defensive duties for Forest’s opener but did brilliantly to create Alexander Isak’s equaliser. 7
Florian Wirtz: Constantly posed a threat and unlucky not to score, having had a neat finish ruled out as Frimpong was offside and a solid header tipped over by Matz Sels. Got the assist for Munoz’s goal. 7
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Victor Munoz: Made his first Liverpool start and it was down his preferred left flank. The Spaniard was direct and had a penalty shout turned down but he should have tested Sels at least when he fired a first-half effort wide from inside the box. Scored a belter to level the game in front of the Kop and rescue a point for Liverpool. 7
Alexander Isak: Just six touches in the first half and zero shots on goal but made up for a forgettable opening 45 minutes with the first equaliser on the hour mark. That was just his ninth touch but a goal that will give him plenty of confidence. 6
Subs:
Tsimikas (on 71, Kerkez): 5
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Gravenberch (on 71, Frimpong): 5
Ngumoha (on 71, Gakpo): 5
Araujo (on 77, Jacquet): 5
Nyoni (on 77, Mac Allister): 5
Subs not used: Mamardashvili, Endo, McConnell, Koumas.
Nottingham Forest
Matz Sels: Was commanding and it was his punt up the field that led to Ndoye’s goal. Made a great save to deny Wirtz but was well-beaten by Gakpo’s cross for Isak’s leveller and had no chance with Munoz’s strike. 5
Jair Cunha: Strong performance but will know he should have done better for Isak’s goal. 6
Nikola Milenkovic: Part of a Forest backline that initially made it incredibly hard for Liverpool to break them down. 6
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Murillo: Unafraid to drive with the ball and put in a solid shift but was well beaten by Munoz for the goal that made it 2-2. Still crucial that Forest keep him. 6
Ola Aina: Relentless all game. Was very involved, as always, and constantly asked questions of Liverpool. Nearly created a goal for Forest. 7
James McAtee: Getting his chance after Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City and was very tidy on the ball in an impressive performance. Made some really good deliveries in the first half and battled well all afternoon. 7
Xaver Schlager: The summer signing came in for the injured Ibrahim Sangare and bar getting nutmegged early on by Dominik Szoboszlai, this was a good display from the Austrian midfielder. 7
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Neco Williams: Like Aina, was full of energy down the opposite flank. Made a superb tackle early on to deny Gakpo. Was once on the Anfield books, and it was interesting to hear Steven Gerrard say pre-match that Liverpool should have kept him. Had a few defensive lapses but ultimately won the penalty that put Forest ahead for the second time. 7
Dan Ndoye: A wonderful finish past Alisson in the first half for what was his first Premier League goal in 377 days. 7
Morgan Gibbs-White: Quality on the ball and got the assist for Ndoye before dispatching his second-half penalty in style. Loves Anfield and now has five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) there. No Englishman has netted more Premier League goals overall this calendar year than his 13. 8
Igor Jesus: Had a great chance early on and his hold up play was brilliant for Ndoye’s goal. Caused a nuisance for Liverpool’s centre-backs all afternoon. 7
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Subs:
Delap (on 66, Ndoye): 6
Netz (on 86, Aina): 5
Hudson-Odoi (on 90+2, McAtee): 5
Dominguez (on 90+2, Igor Jesus): 5
Subs not used: Victor, Diomande, Wood, Yates, Abbott.
How did you rate the players?
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