Nottingham Forest sit comfortably in the Premier League’s top-4 heading into the new year after another workmanlike victory, this one 2-0 over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
WATCH – Everton v Nottingham Forest full match replay
The Tricky Trees (2nd place - 37 points) have won five straight games as the 2024-25 season reaches its halfway point, barely six months after they finished 17th and narrowly avoided relegation. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side is the story of the first half of the PL season.
Everton (17 points) slip from 15th to 16th with the defeat, still three points above the bottom-3.
Chris Wood for Player of the (first half of the) Season?
Who knows where Forest’s top-4 chase is going to take them in the second half of the season, but now that we are officially at the halfway point let’s take a moment to put an exclamation on where they are right now. Minimum 5 points clear for a Champions League place. 5 straight wins heading into the new year. And for the big Kiwi, a career-best type season at 33 years old, and a very honorable mention in the conversation about best player in the PL this season. The impact of 11 goals, 1 assist on a team that only has 26 on the season is so significant, especially early on when he was the only one firing. Now that Anthony Elanga (3 goals, 1 assist in last 4 games) and Morgan Gibbs-White (2 goals, 3 assists in last 5) are rounding into great goal-scoring form, Wood will probably score fewer goals but he will thrive with his link-up play, as he did for the assist to MGW on Sunday.
Player ratings - Everton vs Nottingham Forest
What’s next?
- Bournemouth vs Everton — Saturday, 10 am ET
- Wolves vs Nottingham Forest — Monday (Jan. 6), 3 pm ET
How to watch Everton vs Nottingham Forest live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10am ET Sunday (December 29)
Venue: Goodison Park — Liverpool
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live online via NBC.com
Everton vs Nottingham Forest live updates - by Andy Edwards
Everton vs Nottingham Forest final score: 0-2
Goalscorers: Chris Wood (16'), Morgan Gibbs-White (61')
GOAL! Everton 0-2 Forest: Wood picks out Gibbs-White, who cuts inside and finishes (61')
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Forest: Wood lobs Pickford after playing head tennis with Elanga (16')
Everton starting lineup
Pickford - Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko - Gueye, Mangala, Doucoure - Harrison, Nidiaye, Broja
Nottingham Forest starting lineup
Sels - Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato - Aina, Dominguez, Anderson, Williams - Elanga, Gibbs-White, Wood
Everton have a win and three draws this month, conceding just a single goal to Manchester City in a 1-1 draw following a 4-0 defeat of Wolves and twin scoreless draws with Arsenal and Chelsea. Sean Dyche’s draw-happy Toffees sure could use a win, though, as their 17 points are just three above the bottom three.
Forest are well above the relegation zone, to severely understate the situation of a team who fought the drop last season. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have won four-straight Premier League games to surge into the top four. The Tricky Trees are five points clear of fifth place and have to be dreaming of a long-awaited return to Europe.
Everton team news, focus
OUT: Timothy Iroegbunam (ankle), James Garner (back)| QUESTIONABLE: Dwight McNeil (knee), Iliman Ndiaye (calf), Seamus Coleman (calf)
Nottingham Forest team news, focus
OUT: Danilo (ankle), Ibrahim Sangare (undisclosed), Ryan Yates (suspension)
Everton vs Nottingham Forest prediction
The Toffees’ questionable list is the difference between contending for a win and bunkering in hopes of a draw. Should McNeil and Ndiaye be able to go, we like Everton’s unbeaten December to finish that way. Without the duo? That’s tough. So let’s hedge. Everton 1-1 Nottingham Forest.
