Liverpool
Iraola’s frustration with the board masks a bigger Liverpool concern
Liverpool’s draw with Forest exposed delay, frustration and deeper problems than the substitution board.
Liverpool were left with another uneasy 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime, but the post-match focus quickly shifted to the fourth official’s substitution board and away from the issues that had already put the result in jeopardy.
The flashpoint arrived in the 66th minute when Forest introduced Liam Delap. Liverpool had three changes lined up, with Kostas Tsimikas, Ryan Gravenberch and Rio Ngumoha ready on the touchline, but only the English striker was sent on. Seconds later, an overhit Cody Gakpo cross ran out for a corner in Forest’s half, yet fourth official Tim Robinson was still working on the boards that show the numbers of players coming on and off.
Play continued, and when the ball went out again shortly afterwards without the substitutions being completed, Iraola went to Robinson and protested with animated gestures. The match was halted again in the 68th minute, but Delap quickly took a throw-in for Neco Williams, who poked the ball past Alisson to win a penalty. Morgan Gibbs-White converted.
Victor Muñoz later rescued a point, but Iraola was in no mood to soften his view. “I cannot explain because I don’t have an explanation,” he seethed to assembled media.
“I wanted to make those substitutions about three minutes before. It was two, three, four times the ball had gone out. He [the fourth official, Robinson] was having some problems with the board. The penalty wouldn’t have happened if I had made the subs.
“I had complained the previous time. The supporters were shouting and they were aware of the situation. I’ll leave you to decide whether it was a penalty or not.”
Alisson also reacted angrily after the final whistle, driving his studs into the substitution board as he left the pitch.
Yet the delay was only part of the story. Liverpool’s first-half display was the deeper problem, with the side again twice falling behind against organised opposition. Newcastle had already exposed Liverpool in transition, and Forest found other weaknesses from last season, including susceptibility to long balls, set pieces and a lack of urgency.
“The first half was poor, it was not good enough,” Iraola admitted. “We haven’t controlled the game and after we improved a lot in the second half. We were much more intense, quicker on the ball and had more urgency, but it hasn’t been enough to win the game and we have to blame the first half.”
Liverpool enjoyed 63% possession but managed only four shots and one on target, leaving Forest’s compact defensive block largely untroubled. For a team adjusting to a system built on energy and pressing, the early signs have brought unavoidable teething problems.
Liverpool
Mac Allister hints at Liverpool contract talks as investment changes the mood
Mac Allister says Liverpool’s new investment could influence talks over his contract extension.
Alexis Mac Allister has suggested that Liverpool’s recent outside investment could shape any future discussion over a new deal, with the midfielder acknowledging that several moving parts are now in play around the club.
Interest in what the investment might mean has already extended beyond the balance sheet. There is a clear sense that it could influence spending on infrastructure, major signings or even the salaries of players already in the squad.
Mac Allister is among those whose situation may be affected. Although Liverpool previously informed him that they would not be renewing his current contract, which runs until 2028, his strong early-season return to form under the Andoni Iraola era has reopened the possibility that the club could reconsider.
The 27-year-old pointed to the manager change, the arrival of a new sporting director and the new investors as factors that could play into talks over his future.
“Now, the manager has changed, the sporting director has changed, and new investors are coming into the club,” Mac Allister told journalist Gaston Edul . “Today I’m in a position when anything can happen. I enjoy being here a lot.”
That assessment comes after an uneven 2025-26 campaign, with Mac Allister now showing enough improvement to make a contract extension harder to dismiss completely.
“I know I still have time left at the club, which is what I want the most,” he added. “I don’t judge the decision they made, I just take my emotions and we move forward. Everything can change before I become a free agent.”
Julian Ward’s arrival as sporting director is also relevant, given his role in bringing Mac Allister to Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Athletic have reported that “the door isn’t closed regarding a new contract,” while adding that “Liverpool won’t be in a hurry regarding Mac Allister’s future.”
Arsenal
Barcola highlights Liverpool’s control problem after Arsenal defeat
Barcola says Liverpool need more control after Arsenal and the numbers partly support him.
Bradley Barcola’s reaction to Liverpool’s loss to Arsenal has put a clear focus on the next stage of Andoni Iraola’s rebuild. The forward said the team need greater control and more composure in matches of this kind, especially when they are drawn into direct play rather than keeping the ball on the ground.
That message comes against a generally positive backdrop. Liverpool have already moved past Atlético Madrid, LASK and Villarreal with different levels of comfort, and they remain on course for a top-eight finish for the third straight season. That would spare them two extra fixtures in the new year.
Results have not been the major issue in Iraola’s opening months. Arne Slot’s successor has suffered only two defeats in all competitions, and Liverpool’s European form has been matched by a Carabao Cup quarterfinal place and fifth position in the Premier League. Even so, the rare home defeat to Arsenal showed that the side are still evolving.
Liverpool had their strongest moments after falling behind, with their work without the ball making life difficult for the champions. They controlled territory for long stretches and recorded 30 touches in Arsenal’s box in the first half, yet they did not manage a shot on target before the interval. Alexis Mac Allister also had a chance to level the game before half-time.
After the break, Mikel Arteta’s adjustments helped Arsenal settle, and Liverpool’s momentum faded. Barcola struggled to make repeated one-on-one progress and at times did not even look to take Jurrïen Timber on.
The numbers back up part of his complaint. Liverpool completed just 11 long passes, with a success rate of 25%, and only 11% of their crosses found a team-mate. Their average possession share ranks seventh in the Premier League, per Opta, while they have also produced 17 through balls, the joint-10th-highest total.
Barcola’s own game is built around running in behind, and he is still waiting for his first Premier League goal. Signed for huge money as Liverpool’s third-most expensive arrival ever, he was not universally viewed as a direct Mohamed Salah replacement because he prefers to play on the left. Salah left Anfield at the end of last season and later joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer, but Barcola said he feels no pressure from that departure: “Regarding Mo Salah, he’s a legend here. A huge one. He’s done big things here, and for that I have an enormous respect for him. But it’s not pressure for me at all.
Arsenal
Hincapié’s swipe adds edge to Arsenal’s Anfield victory
Arsenal won at Anfield, then Piero Hincapié added a pointed social media jab at Virgil van Dijk.
Arsenal left Anfield with three valuable points, but Piero Hincapié also found room for a pointed dig at Virgil van Dijk on social media after the final whistle.
The defender’s three-word jab appeared to reference a post Van Dijk made in January, following a goalless meeting with Arsenal. That earlier message had drawn attention to the competition emblem, with the Liverpool captain posting while his side were still champions. The post has since been flooded with comments, many apparently from Arsenal supporters, who have continued to remind Van Dijk of it.
Van Dijk’s January caption was aimed at acknowledging the serious injury suffered by Conor Bradley in that match. He wrote: “We are a team, we are friends but most importantly we are a family,” echoing the final line of a hand-written fan letter.
Hincapié’s swipe sat awkwardly alongside a result Arsenal had every reason to celebrate on its own merits. Declan Rice played a decisive role in the winner, setting up Kai Havertz during an explosive opening spell for the visitors. Arsenal then had to absorb sustained pressure, with the hosts dominating much of the remaining 75 minutes.
Rice said the performance reflected the standards building inside the club. “For sure,” Rice agreed when this point was put to him in the postmatch mixed zone. “It’s just drilled into us. What the manager [Mikel Arteta] has built at this club and the togetherness of the lads—you don’t get that performance without the lads being all together.
“The way the manager has everything under control, the way everyone works towards everything he wants is not like anything I’ve ever seen before. So credit to us for what we have been doing for the last few years. Now it’s a massive thing to deliver again this year.”
Rice added: “We had to dig in and give it everything because they throw so many attacks at you,” Rice added. “We had to be resilient and strong. It was a great win.”
