Nottingham Forest will host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, looking to bounce back from their losing streak with a win at home.
Nottingham Forest have lost three of their last four league matches and they will be desperate to pick up all three points against Everton. They could easily be dragged into the relegation zone if they continue to drop points, and it remains to be seen whether they can climb up the table with a win here.
Meanwhile, Everton are 19th in the league table after their points deduction, and they are coming into this game on the back of a defeat against Manchester United. It is evident that Everton have been handed a devastating blow, and the Merseyside club are low in spirit and confidence right now.
A win here could give them a huge lift, and it remains to be seen whether the Toffees can grind out a morale-boosting victory away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Fixtures on the horizon… 📆#EFC 🔵 @EvertonAcademy pic.twitter.com/mgUGJZm7V5
— Everton (@Everton) November 27, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest will be without the services of star striker Taiwo Awoniyi because of a groin injury. He is expected to return to action in March. Felipe Monteiro and Ibrahim Sangare are ruled out with knee injury and illness, respectively.
Nottingham Forest will start in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Odysseas Vlachodimos in goal. Ola Aina and Harry Toffolo will be deployed as the full-backs. Moussa Niakhate will start alongside Murillo in central defence.
Orel Mangala will start as the defensive midfielder here, and he will look to break up opposition attacks and protect the central defence. Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga will be deployed as the wingers, and they will look to add pace, flair and drive to the side.
Danilo and Nicolas Dominguez will start as the advanced midfielders, and they will look to add creativity and control in the middle of the park. Chris Wood will lead the line for Nottingham Forest here.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Vlachodimos; Aina, Niakhate, Murillo, Toffolo; Mangala; Gibbs-White, Danilo, Dominguez, Elanga; Wood
Everton
The away side will be without Dele Alli, who is ruled out with a groin injury. Andre Gomes will return to action next week from his calf injury. Everton are likely to shape up in their usual 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal.
Ashley Young and Vitaliy Mykolenko will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute in the attack and help out defensively. James Tarkowski will start alongside Jarrad Branthwaite in central defence.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will be deployed as the wingers, and they will look to help out in the attack and protect the full-backs. James Garner will start alongside Idrissa Gueye in the middle of the park. They will look to add defensive cover to the side.
Finally, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will lead the line for Everton against Nottingham Forest, with Abdoulaye Doucoure behind him acting as the link between the midfield and the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Gueye, Garner, McNeil; Doucoure; Calvert-Lewin
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have drawn their last three matches against Everton in all competitions.
- Nottingham Forest have scored at least two goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Eight goals have been scored in the last three meetings between these two sides.
- Nottingham Forest and Everton have conceded 20 and 21 goals respectively, in 13 league games this season.
- Nottingham Forest are winless in five of their last six league matches.
Player to Watch
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Everton will need the 26-year-old striker to step up if they want to win the game. Calvert-Lewin could cause problems for Nottingham Forest with his physicality and aerial prowess. The English striker has four goals in ten starts across all competitions this season, and he will look to add to his goal-scoring tally here.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Everton
Both teams are quite evenly matched on current form, and this is likely to be a close contest. It will be interesting to see if Nottingham Forest and Everton are willing to risk it all in order to grind out all three points here.
They are unlikely to sit back and take a cautious approach given their desperation for a win here. However, they are likely to cancel each other out eventually, and a draw seems quite likely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between Nottingham Forest and Everton.