Andoni Iraola left Anfield on Saturday evening visibly frustrated — not simply by the result, but by the sequence of events that he believes shaped it. Liverpool drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest in a Premier League fixture that the Basque head coach feels could have gone very differently had a straightforward administrative task been handled properly by the match officials.

Three minutes, three stoppages, no subs

With the game locked at 1-1 during the second half, Iraola was ready to introduce Ryan Gravenberch, Kostas Tsimikas and Rio Ngumoha in a triple change. The players were standing on the touchline, paperwork submitted — yet the subs could not go ahead. Fourth official Tim Robinson was experiencing difficulties with the electronic board, and across two or three separate stoppages in play, the changes were blocked from going through.

"We had to wait about three minutes," Iraola told BBC Match of the Day. "He was having an issue with the board, I don't know if it was not working, but we definitely wanted to do the subs the last two or three stoppages before the goal. It wasn't just that reason, but everything helps."

Speaking to TNT Sports, his tone was sharper still. "A professional fourth official cannot take three minutes. We'd already given him the subs two or three minutes before. I was already angry because in the previous stoppage we couldn't make the subs and then before the throw-in I thought we could do it. They will have to explain it. But it has taken ages."

The throw-in that became a penalty

The third time the ball went out of play — the moment Iraola again expected the changes to be made — Forest took a quick throw-in rather than allowing the stoppage. Play remained live, Forest pushed forward, and wing-back Neco Williams darted in behind the Liverpool backline before being caught by goalkeeper Alisson as he attempted to lift a shot goalwards. The ball drifted wide, but referee Samuel Barrott pointed to the spot. Iraola questioned the contact, calling it non-aggressive, though he acknowledged the penalty debate was secondary to the substitution chaos.

The goal put Forest 2-1 ahead and left Liverpool needing a response. Victor Munoz provided it, scoring his first goal for the club with eight minutes remaining to salvage a point.

Gerrard and Warnock back the manager

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, working as a pundit for TNT Sports, accepted that the penalty itself was correctly awarded but sympathised with Iraola's grievance. "You can understand the frustration — in this day and age, with all the technology, it can't be taking three minutes to make a triple substitution," he said. "But I think it's a small problem in the overall problem because it's a goal that can be avoided."

Ex-Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock was less measured. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he called the episode "appalling from the fourth official", pointing out that had the substitutions gone through at the previous stoppage, play would have been halted before the quick throw-in was ever taken.

A point that may feel like two dropped

Liverpool have shown enough in recent weeks to suggest they remain genuine contenders, but draws at Anfield against sides in and around the bottom half of the table are the kind of results that come back to haunt title challenges. The noises out of the Iraola camp suggest he sees the officiating issue as a genuine factor rather than an excuse — and with the club having already agreed a significant deal to strengthen further, the expectation inside Anfield will be that moments like this become increasingly rare. For now, though, one point from a game Liverpool led will sting.

Frequently asked

Why couldn't Liverpool make their substitutions against Nottingham Forest?
Fourth official Tim Robinson had problems operating the electronic substitution board, causing a delay of around three minutes across two or three stoppages in play before the changes could be made.
What was the final score between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest?
The match at Anfield ended 2-2. Forest twice took the lead, with Liverpool's equaliser coming from Victor Munoz — his first goal for the club — with eight minutes remaining.
Did the substitution delay directly lead to the Nottingham Forest penalty?
Iraola believes it contributed. Forest took a quick throw-in at a stoppage when Liverpool were expecting to make changes, which led directly to the move that resulted in a penalty being awarded against goalkeeper Alisson.