Oliver Glasner praised Nottingham Forest’s character after they twice led against Liverpool before being held to an entertaining 2-2 draw at Anfield.
Forest made the stronger start and took the lead midway through the first half when Dan Ndoye found the breakthrough. Liverpool levelled on the hour through Alexander Isak, but Morgan Gibbs-White restored the visitors’ advantage from the penalty spot with 20 minutes remaining.
The hosts responded again, with Victor Munoz scoring his first Premier League goal to earn Liverpool a point. Munoz was played through by an excellent defence-splitting pass from Florian Wirtz.
Despite surrendering the lead twice, Forest finished with only one fewer attempt than Liverpool, having 12 shots compared with the home side’s 13. They also recorded the superior expected goals figure, with Forest’s 2.3 xG exceeding Liverpool’s 1.61. However, just 1.21 of Forest’s total came from open play, with Gibbs-White’s penalty increasing their overall figure.
Glasner admitted he was frustrated not to win but was particularly pleased with the response from his players after successive home defeats by Leeds United in the Premier League and the EFL Cup.
“Overall, the performance was top, especially in the first half, creating so many chances here at Anfield,” Glasner told TNT Sports afterwards.
“I really loved the reaction after we conceded the equaliser, we still played forward and were rewarded with the penalty.
“We feel proud of the performance – but also disappointed with the result. This tells us a lot. A lot of positives to take but still a lot of work to do.
“This is exactly what we needed after two tough defeats at home to Leeds – we had lost a little bit of confidence.
“This group has an amazing character, and I told them, ‘When nobody believes, it’s important that you believe.'”
Gibbs-White’s latest contribution continued an impressive run of form in 2026. Only Bruno Fernandes, with four goals and 14 assists, has been involved in more Premier League goals during the calendar year than the Nottingham Forest midfielder, who has scored 13 and created four. His 13 goals are the most recorded by any player in the competition in 2026.
Anfield has also been a particularly productive venue for Gibbs-White. He now has three goals and two assists there in the Premier League, giving him more goal involvements at the stadium than at any other away ground.
He is also the only player in Premier League history to have registered multiple goals and multiple assists as a visiting player at both Anfield and Old Trafford. His record at Manchester United’s ground stands at two goals and two assists.
The penalty came after Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson left his line and caught Neco Williams, who had been released behind the defence by an intelligent throw-in from Liam Delap.
Delap entered the game as a 66th-minute substitute, only two days after completing a club-record £50m move to Forest from Chelsea. The 23-year-old scored 12 Premier League goals for Ipswich during the 2024-25 season, but managed only three goals in 47 appearances following his move to Chelsea.
Glasner believes the forward can make a significant contribution at the City Ground, while stressing that Delap must take responsibility for his own progress.
“He gets all the support from everyone, but in the end, it’s up to him – he has to do it,” Glasner said of the 23-year-old.
“He had a very good impact today – this is what we expected. We knew we would get our situations, and then the penalty, how quickly he reacts, we were rewarded.
“He can finish with his right or his left, he’s always a goal threat, he was pressing. He needs to get match fit.”
Nottingham Forest have one point from their opening two Premier League matches. Their next fixtures are against Tottenham and Aston Villa.
