Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest left Andoni Iraola still hunting his first Premier League win, and Steven Gerrard saying the team needs more "nastiness".
Victor Munoz rescued the point. The Spain winger, making his full debut, lashed in Florian Wirtz's pass with eight minutes left at Anfield.
How the game went
Forest went ahead on 24 minutes through Dan Ndoye, set up by Morgan Gibbs-White. Liverpool went in 1-0 down at the break and looked short of ideas.
Alexander Isak levelled on the hour from a Cody Gakpo assist, which will read strangely by Tuesday if Gakpo has completed a move to Manchester City. Ten minutes later Gibbs-White put Oliver Glasner's side back in front from the penalty spot. Munoz's finish saved Liverpool from a genuinely bad afternoon.
Iraola still waiting
Andoni Iraola arrived at Anfield with a reputation built at Bournemouth for pressing sides that expect to have the ball. Getting a Liverpool team to press is a different job, because opponents at Anfield mostly sit deep and wait.
Three matches in, he has no wins. That is not a crisis in late August, and Liverpool have spent the window rebuilding the front line, with Bradley Barcola arriving from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth up to £123m. But there is a pattern already: Liverpool concede first, chase, and rely on individual quality to bail them out.
Gerrard's verdict
Steven Gerrard said the side needs to add "nastiness". He also said they are "too nice", which from him is closer to a diagnosis than a soundbite. Liverpool's midfield has technical quality and not much resistance. Forest, physical and organised under Glasner, exposed that for an hour.
Isak's own reaction was blunter. "We need to be better," the striker said. Nobody in the away end would have argued.
The key numbers
- Ndoye 24' (assist Gibbs-White); Isak 60' (assist Gakpo); Gibbs-White 70' pen; Munoz 82' (assist Wirtz)
- Half time: Liverpool 0-1 Forest
- Munoz scored on his full Liverpool debut
- Iraola still without a Premier League win as Liverpool manager
Forest are travelling well
Glasner has Forest playing with a clear shape and they are busy in the market. They agreed a £22m deal for Daniel Munoz from Crystal Palace on Friday and have bid £40m for Everton teenager Harrison Armstrong. Reece Hutchinson is set for a loan at AC Milan.
A point at Anfield with that going on in the background is a decent weekend's work.
What comes next
The transfer window closes at 23:00 BST on Monday, then the international break swallows the next three weeks. Iraola gets a fortnight with whatever squad he ends up with. Given how the first three games have gone, he probably needs it.
Sources: BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Goal.com
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