Liverpool vs Forest: Iraola's First Anfield Test
Anfield braces for a new era on Saturday lunchtime as Liverpool open their home Premier League campaign against Forest, with Iraola taking charge at this famous ground for the first time.
The backdrop is clear: a new manager, a restless fanbase eager for lift-off, and a team still searching for its first win of the season.
Iraola’s first Anfield test
Liverpool’s opener, a ragged 2-2 draw at Newcastle, offered flashes of intent but little control. It leaves Iraola chasing not just a result, but a statement. Anfield expects noise, energy, and three points. He needs all three.
So he has rolled the dice.
In attack, Munoz is thrust into the starting XI, a bold call that shunts Rio Ngumoha to the bench. It’s a ruthless early decision from a coach clearly unafraid to cut through reputations in search of the right blend.
Cody Gakpo, though, stays in. Despite heavy interest from Tottenham and the constant chatter over his future, the Dutchman remains central to Liverpool’s plans today. Iraola has made it plain in his team sheet: as long as Gakpo wears red, he leads the charge.
Gakpo and Munoz spearhead a forward line laced with craft and menace. Florian Wirtz offers the guile between the lines, while Alexander Isak brings movement and penalty-box edge. On paper, it’s a front four that should stretch Forest from the first whistle.
Young steel at the back
At the other end, Iraola keeps faith with youth. Jeremy Jacquet, highly rated and still learning the league’s brutality, again starts alongside captain Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
That decision leaves loan signing Ronald Araujo on the bench, a notable call given his pedigree. For now, the message is simple: Jacquet has earned his shirt, and he keeps it.
Injuries bite into Liverpool’s depth
All of this unfolds against a backdrop of injuries that continue to gnaw at Liverpool’s depth.
Up front, Hugo Ekitike is still out, his recovery from a serious Achilles injury suffered in April moving carefully rather than quickly. His absence narrows Iraola’s options if the game becomes a grind.
Defensively, the problems stack up. Joe Gomez remains unavailable with a muscle issue, while Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are still working back from knee injuries. The back line looks strong in the XI, but thin behind it.
Forest eye an opening
Oliver Glasner brings Forest to Merseyside knowing this is a delicate moment for Liverpool. New manager. New ideas. A squad not yet whole. For a visiting side looking to build early-season momentum, these are the days you circle on the calendar.
Anfield will roar for Iraola’s first home outing. The question now is whether Liverpool can turn that noise into a first win of the campaign, or whether Forest can turn the occasion on its head and leave with a result that shifts the early-season narrative.
