Liverpool‘s Gameweek 2 clash with Nottingham Forest mirrored their opening-day encounter with Newcastle United.

Twice falling behind to less-fancied opposition, the Reds had to again rely on a late leveller to spare their blushes.

Here are our Scout Notes from Anfield.

• READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 2 Scoreboard: Saturday’s goals, assists, bonus + DefCon points
• MATCH STATS: Liverpool v Nott’m Forest stats in our Match Centre

WORK IN PROGRESS

Alexander Isak (£9.0m) is off the mark for the season.

So too is Victor Munoz (£6.5m), who was very bright, if still raw, down the left flank. He switched wings later in the game to open his Liverpool account. No one had more shots (four) than the Spanish wide-man, and he could/should have scored – with one curling first-half effort – before he lashed in the Reds’ second equaliser.

Florian Wirtz (£7.5m) was probably the host’s brightest spark, meanwhile. Unlucky to see a first-half goal chalked off because of Jeremie Frimpong‘s (£5.5m) offside leg, the German forced a fine save with a close-range header and assisted Munoz.

Some individual plus points, then, but it didn’t really amount to a cohesive collective performance.

Liverpool were trailing 0.01-0.92 (!) on xG after half an hour, with Forest taking a deserved lead, and the hosts struggled to get back from there. Isak’s tap-in accounted for almost 50% of their total expected goals.

While that ‘gimme’ may just be the simple finish that Isak needs to kick-start his career and embark on a run of goals, the rest of the evidence suggested otherwise. Liverpool struggled to find their Swedish striker, and while ‘total touches of the ball’ doesn’t always mean much when it comes to centre-forwards, his total of 14, fewer than every other Red (even the subs!), hinted at how isolated he was.

The defence looked shaky, too, and vulnerable to long, press-beating balls from Forest.

“I think it has been quite clear, the first half has been poor from our side. I think we haven’t been good enough, we haven’t controlled the game and afterwards we improved a lot in the second half. We were much more intense, much quicker on the ball, with more sense of urgency, and I think that we have been much better. But it hasn’t been enough to win the game, and I think we have to blame the first half that we’ve done.” – Andoni Iraola

SZOBOSZLAI AT RIGHT-BACK – GOOD FOR DEFCONS!

There were no attacking returns for Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) this week but he did go close with a direct free-kick.

What we did bank were defensive contribution (DefCon) points – and no surprise that a shift to right-back helped him over the threshold.

The Hungarian struggled in his usual midfield role and was moved to full-back upon the withdrawal of the poor Frimpong.

Cue a deluge of DefCons…

The recoveries map above shows how many were banked when he was in the right-back position. All of his tackles and clearances, indeed, also came after Frimpong’s 71st-minute exit.

Really, given the lack of open-play goal threat from central midfield anyway, a switch to right-back might be something that Szoboszlai’s owners wouldn’t mind seeing.

Above: Five players banked DefCon points at Anfield

GAKPO HEADS FOR THE EXIT

Saturday appears to be Cody Gakpo‘s (£7.0m) final appearance in Liverpool red.

News broke after the game that he was destined for Manchester City:

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Cody Gakpo decides to join Manchester City & parties now working to reach agreement. 27yo faced 3-way decision after #LFC signed Bradley Barcola; stay or Tottenham Hotspur also options. Dutch int’l chose #MCFC + talks advancing @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/XNvR05Q3OQ

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 29, 2026

Bradley Barcola, of course, is on his way to Merseyside. One in, one out on the left wing.

Munoz’s best chance of game-time might still be on the right, then, and it was a positive for him that it was from that position that he scored on Saturday.

“I think Victor has been very good [in] both games. I like that sometimes he hasn’t taken the best decisions, has sometimes made some fouls and everything hasn’t been perfect but he’s continued trying all the time. He’s gone again and again and I like this a lot from the wingers. The other day he contributed with the penalty and today with the goal. I think he has been always a threat. And also defensively he has helped us a lot, so I’m happy with him, yes.” – Andoni Iraola

GIBBS-WHITE BACK ON PENALTIES

Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.9m) missed as many penalties as he scored in 2025/26 (two and two), so there was some uncertainty about whether he’d get a chance to take one again, even with regular taker Chris Wood (£6.0m) off the pitch.

But Gibbs-White got the nod on Saturday, even with Igor Jesus (£6.0m) and James McAtee (£5.5m) – two teammates who’d also scored spot-kicks last season – on the pitch. Crucially, new signing Liam Delap (£5.5m) was also on the field. He’d taken penalties at Ipswich Town, so was another potential rival.

GLASNER ON DELAP’S FITNESS

Delap came on midway through the second half for Dan Ndoye (£5.5m), with Jesus moving from centre-forward to attacking midfield.

Those two had responded to Delap’s challenge to their places with lively performances in attack.

Jesus was denied a near-certain goal (and Ndoye an assist) by a last-ditch block, before Alisson (£5.5m) made a superb save to tip the Brazilian’s effort onto the bar.

Ndoye had nodded narrowly wide before he opened the scoring, being slipped in by Gibbs-White after good work from Jesus.

Delap may not be threatening a start just yet, then, especially as his fitness needs work:

“I could see that he was, after one or two actions, heavily breathing. So, he needs to get a match fit. But yeah, very good first impression.” – Oliver Glasner on Liam Delap

MUNOZ ON HIS WAY IN – BAD NEWS FOR AINA/WILLIAMS?

£22m fee agreed between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace for Daniel Munoz.

The Columbia international now has permission to have a medical before reuniting with Oliver Glasner at Forest

More here: https://t.co/UNO0BevPQG https://t.co/RPPoi9m0Em pic.twitter.com/M7ZwqN0hx9

— BBC Nottingham Sport (@BBCRNS) August 29, 2026

Ola Aina (£4.5m) and Neco Williams (£5.0m) turned in decent showings on Saturday, although it was from Williams’ left flank that Liverpool created both of their goals.

Between them, the two wing-backs racked up five crosses and three chances created, while Williams won Forest’s penalty and banked DefCon points.

Are they about to be competing for one slot, however?

Daniel Munoz (£5.5m) is on his way to Forest, and we all know how much Glasner loves him…