Andoni Iraola was denied victory on his first visit to Anfield as Liverpool manager after Victor Munoz’s late strike earned his side a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Forest looked set to secure a third consecutive victory at Anfield after twice taking the lead through Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty.
Alexander Isak briefly restored parity for Liverpool in the second half before Munoz’s deflected effort rescued a point for Iraola, who is still searching for his first win after two matches in charge.
The result will add to concerns over Liverpool’s defensive frailties, with Forest creating several clear opportunities throughout the contest.
Forest came close to taking the lead early on when Igor Jesus was denied by a last-ditch block from Jeremy Jacquet, while Ndoye headed narrowly wide.
The visitors eventually broke the deadlock in the 24th minute after Liverpool struggled to deal with a long ball forward.
Jesus initially appeared to have lost possession, but Morgan Gibbs-White recovered the ball and set up Ndoye, who calmly found the far corner.
Liverpool thought they had equalised through Florian Wirtz, but the effort was ruled out for offside against Jeremie Frimpong during the build-up.
Forest almost doubled their advantage before the break, but Alisson produced an important save to deny Ndoye in stoppage time.
Liverpool improved after the interval and eventually found an equaliser on the hour mark.
Cody Gakpo, who has been among Liverpool’s most effective forwards at the start of the campaign, delivered an inch-perfect cross that allowed Isak to tap the ball home.
However, Liverpool’s hopes of taking control were short-lived.
A quickly taken throw-in from Forest debutant Liam Delap caught the home defence off guard. Neco Williams was brought down by Alisson as the goalkeeper rushed from his line, prompting the referee to award a penalty.
Gibbs-White kept his composure from the spot, sending Alisson the wrong way to restore Forest’s lead.
With time running out, Iraola turned to his substitutes in search of an equaliser.
His decision to keep Munoz on the pitch proved decisive.
Wirtz produced a superb through ball into the Spanish forward’s path, and Munoz fired a powerful effort that struck the crossbar before finding the net to make it 2-2.
Neither side could find a winner during a frantic finale, leaving both Iraola and Forest boss Oliver Glasner still waiting for their first victories in charge.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will reportedly hope to complete the signing of Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola before their next match at Ipswich on Friday.
The French international has been linked with the Reds for several months, with reports suggesting a deal worth £106 million could be completed, potentially rising by a further £17 million.
Barcola’s arrival could increase competition for places in Liverpool’s attack, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City reportedly monitoring Cody Gakpo.
The draw leaves Liverpool still searching for consistency despite their huge investment in the squad, while Forest can take confidence from another strong performance at Anfield.
