Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham: Match Report as 69% Possession Hid an xG Defeat

Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham is the kind of result that arrives with an asterisk. The hosts held 69% of the ball at Anfield on Saturday and completed 562 passes to their visitors' 193, and yet Liverpool vs Nottingham finished level only because Victor Munoz struck in the 82nd minute. Nottingham led twice in Round 2 of the Premier League — Dan Ndoye on 24 minutes, a Morgan Gibbs-White penalty on 70 — and left with the better expected-goals total, 2.30 to 1.75, and five big chances to Liverpool's one.

Alexander Isak had levelled just after the hour from Cody Gakpo's assist, and Florian Wirtz supplied the pass for Munoz 22 minutes later. Between those two goals Liverpool emptied their bench: five substitutions inside seven minutes, every one of them made after Gibbs-White's penalty.

Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham: Final Score and Result

Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham was the full-time score at Anfield (capacity 61,276) on Saturday 29 August 2026, a Premier League Round 2 fixture that kicked off at 11:30 UTC. Nottingham led 1-0 at half-time and 2-1 with 20 minutes left. Liverpool, in a 4-2-3-1 against Nottingham's 3-4-2-1, drew level twice and never led. No red cards, six yellows, four of them Liverpool's.

Who Scored in Liverpool vs Nottingham?

• 24' — Dan Ndoye, Nottingham (assist: Morgan Gibbs-White)
• 60' — Alexander Isak, Liverpool (assist: Cody Gakpo)
• 70' — Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham (penalty)
• 82' — Victor Munoz, Liverpool (assist: Florian Wirtz)

How the First Half Unfolded at Anfield

The opening 45 minutes previewed everything that followed. Liverpool had 63% of the ball and turned it into four shots, one on target and 0.36 xG. Nottingham had 37% and turned it into eight shots, seven of them from inside the box, three big chances and 1.28 xG. Ndoye converted one of those on 24 minutes from a Gibbs-White assist, and the visitors struck the woodwork before the interval.

Liverpool's problem was not reaching the final third — they completed 63 of 85 passes there before the break — but what happened at the end of it. They did not register a single big chance in the first half, and did not force Matz Sels into more than one save. Igor Jesus was booked on 44 minutes for the only card of the half.

Key Moments and Turning Points

Liverpool pushed the possession figure to 75% after the break. Ola Aina was booked on 50 minutes, Munoz on 54 and Wirtz on 59, and on 60 Isak finally converted, Gakpo assisting. Liverpool's solitary big chance of the entire match came in that second half — a remarkable line to write about a side who finished with 13 shots.

Then came the sequence that shaped the afternoon. Alisson was booked in the 69th minute, and Gibbs-White scored from the penalty spot in the 70th. Liam Delap had replaced goalscorer Ndoye four minutes earlier. Alisson, whose only save of the match had come before half-time, was beaten a second time.

Liverpool's response was total. Iraola made three changes on 71 minutes — Rio Ngumoha for Gakpo, Konstantinos Tsimikas for Milos Kerkez, Ryan Gravenberch for Jeremie Frimpong — and two more on 77, Ronald Araujo for Jeremy Jacquet and Trey Nyoni for Alexis Mac Allister. Araujo was booked two minutes after arriving. On 82, Wirtz found Munoz, himself carrying a yellow since the 54th, and Anfield had its 2-2.

Match Stats: Liverpool vs Nottingham

Why 69% Possession Was an Illusion

Split the match in two and the possession figures get stranger, not clearer. Liverpool had 63% of the ball in the first half and produced 0.36 xG. They had 75% in the second and produced 1.39. So the more of the ball they took, the more they eventually extracted — and yet even at three-quarters possession they were out-created on big chances in that half, one to two. At no point did volume of possession buy Liverpool control of the danger.

The shape of the two attacks explains why. Nottingham took 11 of their 12 shots from inside the penalty area; Liverpool took five of their 13 from outside it, and swung in 30 crosses of which five found a teammate, a rate of 17%. Liverpool's expected-assists figure was the higher of the two, 1.78 to 1.41. The difference is what the chances were worth on arrival. Five big chances to one is the most damning line on the sheet, and it belongs to the side with 31% of the ball.

The visitors' 3-4-2-1 defended as that number implies: 34 clearances to Liverpool's 19, 21 of them after the break, and 60 duels won to 51. Nottingham completed 193 passes all afternoon, only 72 of them — 37% — in the second half, when their accuracy fell to 59%, which is less a possession strategy than an admission that they did not need one. The metric that flatters Liverpool is xGOT: their four shots on target carried 2.02 against 1.75 xG. Sels finished with two saves and goals prevented of 0.02; Alisson made one save, faced 1.27 xGOT, conceded twice and posted minus 0.73 — though one goal came from the spot, and neither side made an error leading to a goal.

What This Result Means for the Premier League Table

On the live Premier League table Liverpool currently sit 13th of 20 on two points from two matches, four scored and four conceded. Nottingham are 15th on one point, two scored and three conceded. Neither club has won a league game this season. For a side that has just monopolised the ball for 90 minutes at Anfield without leading for a second of it, 13th is an uncomfortable place to read your own name. See the full Premier League standings below.

Where Can I Watch the Liverpool vs Nottingham Highlights?

OneLightScore carries the full incident timeline and complete statistics sheet for this fixture, plus highlights once they are published. Broadcast details for this fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing, so use the card below or the Premier League where-to-watch guide to find the rights holder in your country.

When Is Liverpool's Next Match and How to Watch It?

Liverpool's next fixture and kickoff time are listed on the Premier League schedule this week, which also carries Nottingham's upcoming fixtures. Broadcast listings vary by territory and are added to each fixture as they are confirmed.

Liverpool vs Nottingham FAQs

Who scored in Liverpool vs Nottingham?

Four players scored. Dan Ndoye put Nottingham ahead on 24 minutes from a Morgan Gibbs-White assist. Alexander Isak levelled for Liverpool on 60, assisted by Cody Gakpo. Gibbs-White made it 2-1 with a 70th-minute penalty, and Victor Munoz equalised on 82 from a Florian Wirtz assist.

What was the final score of Liverpool vs Nottingham?

The final score was Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham at Anfield on Saturday 29 August 2026, in Round 2 of the Premier League. Nottingham led 1-0 at half-time and 2-1 after 70 minutes, but Victor Munoz equalised on 82. Neither side ever led by more than one goal.

Where can I watch the Liverpool vs Nottingham highlights?

OneLightScore publishes the match timeline, the full statistics sheet and highlights for this Premier League fixture on its match page. Broadcast details had not been confirmed at the time of writing, so check the OneLightScore where-to-watch page for the rights holder in your country.

What channel was Liverpool vs Nottingham on?

Broadcast details for this fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Premier League rights are sold territory by territory, and the OneLightScore where-to-watch guide lists the rights holder for each match in your country as those listings are confirmed.

When is Liverpool's next match and how to watch it?

Liverpool's next fixture, kickoff time and broadcast listing are published on the OneLightScore Premier League fixtures page as they are confirmed. Liverpool currently sit 13th in the live Premier League table on two points from two matches, so the next round is their first chance to win.