Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest takeaways: 2 winners and 2 losers from disappointing draw at Anfield
Liverpool stumbled to a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday as summer signing Victor Munoz's thunderstrike meant Liverpool came away with a point.
Dan Ndoye opened the scoring in the first half, and while Florian Wirtz thought he had equalised not long after, a VAR offside decision took the German's joy away.
Alexander Isak drew the Reds level in the 60th minute after a pinpoint cross from Cody Gakpo, but a controversial penalty decision, dispatched by Morgan Gibbs-White, put Forest back in front.
Late in the second half, Munoz became Anfield's hero after he scored with aplomb to draw the Reds level.
Despite the euphoria that comes with a late goal, the Reds were poor for 60 minutes of the game before they kicked into gear. And that is not what fans expect from the first game of the season at Anfield.
So, who were the winners and losers from this weekend? Let's take a look, shall we?
Winners:
1 - Victor Munoz
As we mentioned in our 'what we noticed in training' piece, Munoz looked incredibly sharp.
And throughout the match on Saturday, the Spaniard was a thorn in the Tricky Trees' side on both wings.
He had a good opportunity just before half-time but wasn't able to take it. But, kept plugging away and was rewarded for his efforts after Wirtz found him with a wonderful pass before Munoz thundered his shot in front of the Kop end.
The World Cup winner looks to be a smart piece of business, and feels like an old fashioned Liverpool signing, à la Sadio Mane or Diogo Jota.
Liverpool's number 23 has opened his account in Liverpool red, and it looks like there's plenty more to come.
2 - Trey Nyoni
If the young midfielder is able to put on some muscle, the Reds truly have a gem on their hands.
His introduction in the 77th minute coincided with a sustained period of possession and dominance for the Reds, alongside more progressive passing and quicker tempo in the build-up phase.
Dominik Szoboszlai was also moved to right-back at the same time, which may (unfortunately for him) be his best position for the Reds.
Nyoni injected a sense of urgency into Liverpool's build-up as soon as he came on, with his decisive passing and forward-thinking mentality which is exactly what Liverpool needed when chasing an equaliser.
It may be too early for him to be starting games, but the young midfielder possesses the confidence and ability to make an impact on the pitch.
Losers:
1 - Liverpool's fullbacks
Two weeks in a row. Not a good look.
Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have struggled to replicate their form at their previous clubs since joining the Reds.
Albeit last season both weren't used to the best of their abilities through strange tactical decisions or injury, but for many across Anfield and online, patience is wearing thin.
Both fullbacks have started the season poorly, not defending as well as they should be and not contributing to Liverpool's attacking play.
There were several occasions over the past two games where Kerkez and Frimpong had a chance to cause a problem with a good cross, but they were either overhit or inaccurate.
But, change takes time. Following a tumultuous season under Arne Slot, a lot of these players will need a few games to get up to the expectations of Andoni Iraola.
Patience doesn't last forever though.
2 - Dominik Szoboszlai
A winner last week, a loser this week. Funny how quickly things change in football, isn't it?
The Hungarian didn't necessarily have a bad game. But at the same time, he didn't really have an impact on the pitch until he was moved to right-back.
At times he slowed down Liverpool's build-up but while this can be a good thing, the Reds are yet to take the lead in a Premier League match this season. Slowing things down while chasing the game is not what fans expect from Liverpool players.
There seemed to be a lack of desire to speed things up, to create spaces or rifts inside the dense defensive shape of Nottingham Forest. Oliver Glasner's side set up with five defenders out of possession.
You can't open a defense up like that by moving the ball slowly. But, when Liverpool's number 8 was moved to right-back. The game opened up for him.
He was able to pick out dangerous through balls and crosses like a former player we don't like to talk about much anymore.
There is an understandable apprehension from the Hungarian about being used consistently at right-back. But, shouldn't the collective team's benefit come before his own, maybe selfish, desire to play in midfield?
The Reds looked considerably better with Szoboszlai at right-back and with Nyoni in midfield. It will take some convincing and time to see if this becomes a more frequent tactical set up, but Iraola has some big decisions to make.
With only a few days left in the transfer window, and transfer rumours coming thick and fast, Liverpool's next starting 11 against Ispwich on Friday could be very interesting.
