Liverpool v Nottingham Forest: Iraola Seeks Early Spark
Anfield gets its first Premier League lunchtime kick-off of the season on Saturday, and both dugouts arrive with something to prove. Liverpool, with just a single point on the board, and Nottingham Forest, still empty-handed, meet in a game that already carries an edge that belies the early date on the calendar.
Kick-off is at 12:30, live on TNT Sports 1. The stage is not the problem. The table is.
Liverpool searching for early spark
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool have started the 2026/27 league campaign with a stutter. One point, 10th place, and a 2-2 draw with Newcastle last time out that felt more like an opportunity missed than a platform built.
The attacking framework is clear. Alisson Becker anchors a side that looks set to lean heavily on pace and precision from the flanks and half-spaces. Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez provide the width, Virgil Van Dijk and Jérémy Jacquet the defensive spine, and a midfield of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch offers power and passing lanes.
Ahead of them, the blend is intriguing. Rio Ngumoha, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo operating behind Alexander Isak gives Liverpool a front four capable of overwhelming teams when the press and rhythm click. Newcastle felt like a glimpse of that plan without the ruthless finish Iraola demands.
Injuries have already tested the depth. Joe Gomez, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitiké and Giovanni Leoni are all unavailable, trimming Iraola’s defensive and attacking options. The core, though, remains strong, and the manager’s record against Saturday’s opponent adds a quiet layer of confidence: Iraola has never lost to Nottingham Forest, with three wins and three draws from six meetings.
He also knows the man in the opposite technical area well. Across five clashes with Oliver Glasner, Iraola is unbeaten, with two wins and three draws. He has the edge. He’ll want to keep it.
Forest under early pressure
Forest arrive at Anfield with no points and a Carabao Cup bruise still fresh. Glasner’s side fell 0-2 to Leeds United in midweek, extending a run of two straight defeats and two games without a win. It’s not yet a crisis. But it is a wobble.
The predicted XI suggests Glasner will lean on experience and structure to steady things. Matz Sels is expected in goal, protected by Jair Cunha, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Ola Aina. In midfield, Ibrahim Sangaré’s presence alongside James McAtee and Neco Williams gives Forest a mix of bite and energy, with Morgan Gibbs-White asked to stitch attacks together behind Igor Jesus and Dan Ndoye.
That would mark a slight reshuffle from the Leeds defeat, where Ousmane Diomande, Xaver Schlager, Nicolás Domínguez, Chris Wood and Arnaud Kalimuendo all started. Glasner has options. What he doesn’t yet have is momentum.
Forest’s absentee list is shorter but still significant. Ryan Yates and Nicolò Savona miss out through injury, removing a reliable engine from the centre of the pitch and cutting into their midfield rotation.
If there is a reason for quiet optimism, it lies with the manager’s history against this club. Glasner has faced Liverpool seven times, recording three wins, two draws and only two defeats. He has found ways to frustrate and outmanoeuvre them before. Anfield, though, is a different equation.
Familiar foes, fresh stakes
The recent head-to-head leans Liverpool’s way. Their last meeting ended 1-0 to the Reds, a narrow margin that underlines how stubborn Forest can be but also how often Liverpool find a way.
This time, the context changes the mood. Liverpool need a win to turn an uncertain start into something more stable. Forest need anything — a point, a gritty performance, a sign that the Leeds loss was a jolt rather than a trend.
Iraola’s high-intensity blueprint against Glasner’s structured, often pragmatic approach sets up a tactical contest with clear fault lines. If Liverpool’s press bites early, Forest could be pinned back and forced to survive long spells without the ball. If Forest can break that press and feed Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus and Ndoye in transition, Anfield’s early-season nerves might just resurface.
Both managers know each other’s habits. Both have records they’ll want to protect. One of them will walk away on Saturday with their season finally pointing in the right direction.
