Everton vs Nottingham Forest

Goodison Park forms the backdrop for an exciting Premier League match-up between bottom-half Everton and overachieving Nottingham Forest.

Amid talks new Everton owner Dan Friedkin could sack manager Sean Dyche as one of his first acts as the new chairman, the ex-Burnley boss has earned the tag of a ‘giant slayer.’ Indeed, the Toffees have racked up three consecutive league draws against none other than Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City. While the former two yielded an unpopular 0-0 scoreline, Everton pegged City back to draw 1-1 on Boxing Day, setting themselves up nicely for this tricky contest. Dyche knows better than to get carried away by his side’s recent heroics, with only three points standing between them and the bottom three going into the calendar year finale. Forest’s rich vein of form won’t faze Everton after they only suffered one defeat in their last nine meetings (W6, D2), including a 2-0 triumph in this corresponding fixture in 2023/24.

If there was a time for Nottingham Forest to turn their disheartening H2H fortunes around, it’s now. Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flyers toppled Tottenham 1-0 on Boxing Day to solidify their incredible top-four quest, moving five points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle United. The visitors have hit a purple patch since a 3-0 demolition at the hands of Man City in early December, beating Aston Villa, Brentford, Manchester United, and Spurs en route to their first four-game winning streak in top-flight action since 1995! However, there’s no room for complacency. The Tricky Trees have recently blown hot and cold on the road, going from back-to-back 3-0 defeats to consecutive victories, both of which saw them open the scoring inside the first half.