Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Iraola Seeks First Win at Anfield

Anfield gets its first taste of Premier League football this season on Saturday lunchtime, with Liverpool still waiting for Andoni Iraola’s first victory in charge and Nottingham Forest arriving with just enough recent history here to believe they can spoil the party.

Iraola’s side let a win slip away at Newcastle on the opening weekend, pegged back to a 2-2 draw, and the search for that first three points now moves to a ground that demands them.

Forest, beaten by Leeds United in their own opener, know the scale of the task. But they also know Anfield hasn’t always been a fortress for them in recent years. That sliver of encouragement might be all they cling to when the whistle blows at 12:30 on Saturday, 29 August 2026.

Liverpool’s selection puzzle

Liverpool’s squad is already carrying scars. Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitiké, Joe Gomez, Jayden Danns and Giovanni Leoni are all ruled out through injury, trimming Iraola’s options at both ends of the pitch. Curtis Jones is battling a groin problem and remains a doubt, another potential hole in midfield.

The headline transfer story, Bradley Barcola’s £120 million move from Paris Saint-Germain, will almost certainly stay just that for now: a story. Even if the deal is completed in time, the forward is not expected to feature this weekend, with his debut more realistically aimed at next week’s trip to Ipswich Town.

One player who did make an impact was Victor Muñoz. Thrown on at Newcastle, he won the stoppage-time penalty that salvaged a point and injected some urgency into Liverpool’s attack. That cameo has pushed him firmly into the conversation for a starting place.

At the back, Iraola is likely to tinker. Jérémy Jacquet is in line to continue alongside Virgil van Dijk, with at least one change anticipated in the back four as the new manager searches for the right balance between aggression and control.

Further forward, the big call may come on the right flank. Muñoz’s sharp display has put him in contention to start ahead of Rio Ngumoha, who turns 18 on matchday and is being carefully managed despite his talent.

On the opposite side, Cody Gakpo has done his talking on the pitch. He scored against Newcastle and is expected to keep his place on the left, even as transfer speculation linking him with Tottenham and Manchester City rumbles on in the background.

In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai look set to retain their roles as the engine room, tasked with feeding a front line built around Alexander Isak, whose movement and finishing remain central to Iraola’s attacking blueprint.

Predicted Liverpool XI

Liverpool possible starting XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Van Dijk, Jacquet, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Muñoz, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Anfield will demand intensity. Iraola still needs a first win. Forest arrive wounded, but hopeful.

Something has to give.