Liverpool's New Era Begins: Iraola's First Home Game at Anfield

Anfield braces for a new era at Saturday lunchtime, as Liverpool step out under Andoni Iraola for the first time on home soil in the Premier League – and the stakes feel bigger than the calendar suggests.

Iraola’s Anfield bow

This is not just another early-season fixture. It is Iraola’s first competitive home game in charge of the Reds, a landmark moment for a club trying to redefine itself under a coach known for high tempo and aggression.

Liverpool arrive with work to do. They opened the campaign with a scrappy 2-2 draw away at Newcastle, a performance that mixed flashes of attacking promise with familiar defensive jitters. Dropped points, but also a reminder that this is a project in motion, not a finished article.

Now comes the first real chance to connect with Anfield. A win, a performance with bite, and Iraola instantly buys himself time and trust. Anything less, and the questions begin.

Forest arrive hunting a statement

Oliver Glasner brings his Forest side to Merseyside with his own ambitions. Both teams want momentum, both want to plant an early flag in the new season. Forest know Anfield can be unforgiving, yet it also offers the perfect stage for a statement result.

Glasner’s task is clear: disrupt Liverpool’s rhythm, silence the crowd, and test a back line still knitting itself together.

Bold call in attack

Iraola has wasted no time putting his stamp on the team sheet.

Munoz is thrown straight into the starting XI in attack, a bold selection that pushes Rio Ngumoha down to the bench. It’s a ruthless call, the kind managers make when they’re determined to set a tone rather than ease their way into a job.

Cody Gakpo keeps his place as well, and that matters. The Dutchman is being heavily courted by Tottenham, his future the subject of constant noise, yet on this day he remains central to Liverpool’s plans. Iraola clearly sees him as a pillar, not a distraction.

Gakpo and Munoz are flanked by serious quality. Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak complete a forward line that looks built to overwhelm, not simply edge past, visiting defences. On paper, that quartet screams goals. On the pitch, they now have to deliver.

Defence in transition

At the other end, Liverpool’s back line carries a different kind of story: youth, responsibility, and a touch of jeopardy.

Jeremy Jacquet, the highly rated young centre-back, keeps his place alongside captain Virgil van Dijk. It is a show of faith from Iraola. With Ronald Araujo restricted to the bench, Jacquet is trusted to handle the intensity and expectation of Anfield on a landmark afternoon.

Van Dijk remains the anchor, the organiser, the one who must guide a partner still learning the league and the environment. If Liverpool are to play with Iraola’s trademark aggression, that pairing will be asked to defend big spaces and win duels high up the pitch. Any hesitation, and Forest will pounce.

Injury clouds over key areas

All of this unfolds against a backdrop of problems in the treatment room.

Up front, Hugo Ekitike is still absent as he recovers from the severe Achilles injury he suffered in April. His pace and movement would have given Iraola another weapon; for now, Liverpool must do without.

Defensively, the options are stretched. Joe Gomez remains sidelined with a muscle issue, while Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are both working their way back from knee injuries. The absences narrow Iraola’s choices and place even more responsibility on those who are fit.

So Liverpool enter this first home game of the new regime with a blend of excitement and vulnerability: a thrilling front line, a reshaped defence, and a bench that reflects the strain of early-season injuries.

Anfield has seen eras begin and end, promises made and broken. Now it waits to see whether Iraola’s first steps on this turf spark a surge of belief – or reveal just how much work lies ahead.