Nottingham Forest 0-2 Everton: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

The breakthrough came early for Everton when James Garner fired them ahead in the 19th minute, thanks to an assist from Dwight McNeil, catching Forest on the back foot. Forest tried to respond after the break, bringing on Douglas Luiz for Nicolás Domínguez at half-time, but a yellow card for Douglas Luiz at 61 minutes added to their frustrations, and Taiwo Awoniyi replaced Igor Jesus shortly after in a bid to boost their attack.

Everton sealed the win late on with Thierno Barry’s goal in the 79th minute, assisted by James Garner, before Barry was substituted for Beto at 85 minutes. Jack Grealish had come on for Nathan Patterson at 72 minutes to help shore things up, and these changes ensured Everton held firm against Forest’s pressure, with Dilane Bakwa’s introduction for Callum Hudson-Odoi at 75 minutes coming too late to change the outcome.

Nottingham Forest lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, focusing on building from the back with players like Nicolás Domínguez in midfield before his half-time substitution for Douglas Luiz, who later picked up a yellow card. Up front, Igor Jesus started but made way for Taiwo Awoniyi, while Callum Hudson-Odoi featured on the wing until Dilane Bakwa replaced him, aiming for width and creativity in attack.

Everton set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with James Garner shining in midfield by scoring and assisting, supported by Dwight McNeil’s creative play. Nathan Patterson started at the back but was replaced by Jack Grealish, while Thierno Barry led the line effectively with his goal before Beto came on late, helping to maintain a compact defensive partnership that frustrated Forest.

James Garner is Coral’s Man of the Match after a standout performance where he scored one goal, provided one assist, created two big chances and made three key passes. His early strike in the 19th minute set Everton on their way, and his assist for Thierno Barry’s late goal sealed the victory, showing his all-round influence in midfield against a possession-heavy Forest side.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 0-2 vs Everton (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Manchester City (H)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Fulham (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Tottenham Hotspur (H)
• Loss: 0-3 vs Everton (A)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 2-0 vs Nottingham Forest (A)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Burnley (A)
• Loss: 0-1 vs Arsenal (H)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Chelsea (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Nottingham Forest (H)

Nottingham Forest have just suffered a 0-2 defeat at home to Everton, leaving them in 17th place on 18 points and in a tough spot after a string of recent losses including back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and Fulham, plus an earlier thrashing by Everton. They’re chasing points to pull away from danger, and their next match against Aston Villa on 2026-01-03 at 12:30 will be a stern test, with Villa currently third on 39 points and looking strong for Europe.

Everton have just secured a 2-0 win away at Nottingham Forest, boosting them to eighth place on 28 points after a mixed run that included a draw with Burnley and losses to Arsenal and Chelsea, but also a convincing home win over Forest earlier. They’ll aim to build on this momentum and push for European spots in their next fixture against Brentford on 2026-01-04 at 15:00, facing a side sitting 10th on 26 points who could make it a competitive clash.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.