Liam Delap didn’t need long to make his mark on his Nottingham Forest debut.
The £50m signing from Chelsea came off the bench in the second half of Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool. Within minutes, he had played a part in Forest going back in front at Anfield.
The game was level at 1-1 when Forest won a throw-in on the left. Delap took it quickly, sending the ball into the penalty area and catching Liverpool out.
Neco Williams got onto it and was brought down by Alisson Becker as he tried to get his shot away. The referee pointed to the spot and Morgan Gibbs-White finished from 12 yards.
Delap had been on the pitch for only 24 minutes, but already had his first big contribution in a Forest shirt.
Liam Delap shows more than his finishing
The striker also completed the joint-most dribbles in the game, which offered another glimpse of what he can bring to Glasner’s attack.
His throw-in also caused some debate after the final whistle. Some Liverpool supporters felt Delap had released the ball with one foot off the ground and that the throw should have been penalised.
Replays, however, showed his right foot only came off the ground after he had released the ball. The throw was therefore legal.
For Nottingham Forest, it was a promising introduction.
Liam Delap arrived after a difficult season at Chelsea, where he scored just once in the Premier League. Forest will be hoping to see the player who scored 12 goals for Ipswich in 2024-25.
Delap’s quick thinking on his debut helped Forest regain their lead at Anfield, and that is a pretty decent way to start life at his new club.
