Nottingham Forest will host Everton at City Ground on Tuesday, with both teams looking to bounce back to winning ways.
Nottingham Forest have lost four of their last six Premier League matches, and they are 17th in the table ahead of the game vs Everton this midweek. The Tricky Trees will be desperate to secure safety in the Premier League, and they need to win these games to stay up.
On the other hand, Everton are 12th in the Premier League standings, and they have picked up just two wins from their last six Premier League matches. The Toffees will be aiming for a place in the top half this season, and they will be desperate to pick up all three points here.
Neither side is in particularly good form, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Ola Aina (hamstring), Chris Wood (knee), Dan Ndoye (knock), and Ryan Yates (thigh) remain in the treatment room. Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly are away on AFCON duty with the Ivory Coast.
Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Everton, with John Victor in goal. Neco Williams and Nicolo Savona will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out going forward. Murillo will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic in central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Douglas Luiz will add physicality and drive to the side alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot. Anderson will look to add defensive cover and control.
Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity and goals to the side in the final third. Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward. Finally, Igor Jesus will lead the line for Nottingham Forest vs Everton on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): John Victor; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Luiz, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus
Everton
Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall remain in the treatment room due to their hamstring injuries, while Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are away on AFCON duty with Senegal. However, Jack Grealish should be available after recovering from an illness.
Everton are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Nottingham Forest, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Jake O’Brien and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start in the full-back positions. They will look to keep things tight defensively. Meanwhile, Michael Keane will pair up with James Tarkowski at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Tim Iroegbunam will start alongside James Garner in the double pivot in the middle of the park. They will look to protect the back four and break down Nottingham Forest’s attacking moves.
Meanwhile, Jack Grealish and Dwight McNeil will start on the flanks. They will look to help out during transitions and create opportunities during the break. Carlos Alcaraz will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Beto will spearhead the Everton attack vs Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford, O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Iroegbunam; McNeil, Alcaraz, Grealish; Beto
Key Stats
- Everton are unbeaten in five of their last six matches against Nottingham Forest. 13 goals have been scored in the last six matches between the two teams.
- Both teams have failed to win four of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Everton have failed to find the back of the net in their three most recent matches in the Premier League. They last had a longer run in November/December 2024 (4), while they last did so under David Moyes in April 2006 (4).
- Nottingham Forest have won their final league game in the last two calendar years, beating Everton 2-0 in 2024. They last did so in three consecutive years between 2008 and 2010. On the other hand, Everton lost 2-0 against Nottingham Forest in their final league game of 2024, and 3-0 at Wolves in their final game of 2023. They have never lost their last league game in three consecutive calendar years before.
- David Moyes has won just one of his five away league games against Nottingham Forest (D1 L3). He failed to win with Preston North End in 2000/01 and 2001/02 (D1 L1) and West Ham United in 2022/23 and 2023/24 (L2) but did win with the Toffees last season.
Player to Watch
Jack Grealish
Everton attacker Jack Grealish is our key player to watch out for. The Englishman has done quite well since joining Everton on loan, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third and find the back of the net as well.
Nottingham Forest have been quite poor defensively, and Grealish has the quality to cause problems for them in the final third. Everton will need him to step up and produce in the attack if they want to pick up all three points here. Grealish will look to open up opportunities with his technical ability and flair. Everton will depend on him to create openings in the final third.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Everton
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither team is in particularly good form, and it will be difficult to separate them. It would not be a surprise if they managed to cancel each other out. A goalscoring draw seems quite likely here, and they are likely to share the spoils.