Preview: Everton vs. Nottingham Forest - prediction, team news, lineups

Following a hard-fought constituent astatine the location of the faltering champions earlier successful the week, Everton volition proceed their festive docket with the sojourn of Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.

The Toffees managed to snatch a constituent disconnected Manchester City astatine the Etihad connected Boxing Day, whilst the Tricky Trees conquered the Lilywhites of Tottenham Hotspur astatine the City Ground.

Match preview

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After 3 consecutive bottom-half finishes successful the Premier League betwixt 2022 and 2024, Everton are opening to amusement signs of a squad who could combat for a spot successful the elite 10 of the part this clip around, with Sunday's hosts astatine Goodison Park disrupting the large boys truthful acold successful December.

On the backmost of consecutive goalless draws with rubric contenders Arsenal and Chelsea anterior to Christmas Day, the Toffees ran disconnected their turkey dinners astatine the stomping crushed of Manchester City connected Boxing Day, erstwhile Iliman Ndiaye's 3rd extremity of the word forced a constituent pursuing Bernardo Silva's opener for the Citizens.

Tasting decision successful conscionable 1 of their past 7 matches astatine the apical array of English football, Everton are presently occupying 15th presumption successful the Premier League standings, 3 points up of Leicester City successful the relegation portion and 8 points down Brighton & Hove Albion, who are guarding introduction to the apical fractional of the rankings.

Season summons holders connected the bluish extremity of Merseyside person not ever been spoilt for goalscoring enactment from their heroes truthful acold successful 2024-25, with Sean Dyche's largely-pragmatic clump scoring conscionable 9 goals crossed 8 matches astatine Goodison Park - lone Ipswich Town (6), Crystal Palace (7) and Southampton (7) astatine netted less astatine their respective location bases.

Everton's superstar epoch of the aboriginal 2020's - successful which Carlo Ancelotti managed the likes of James Rodriguez - are good down them, and present an honorable clump of players are sharing the limelight, though conscionable 4 men person scored much than 1 Premier League extremity for the nine successful 2024-25.

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Rivalling the demise of Pep Guardiola's generational Manchester City broadside successful the class of astonishment of the 2024-25 campaign, Nottingham Forest are sitting beauteous successful 3rd spot successful the Premier League table pursuing a Boxing Day bout with Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham.

Involved successful countless thrillers crossed the home country and successful Europe this season, Spurs were kept astatine bay connected the banks of the River Trent, with a composed first-half decorativeness from Sweden planetary Anthony Elanga securing each 3 points for the Tricky Trees astatine the City Ground.

After winning 4 consecutive Premier League matches for the archetypal clip since 1995, Nuno Espirito Santo's troops volition beryllium looking to extremity the calendar twelvemonth with a record-breaking 5 consecutive triumphs, a feat that would item the progression the nine person made nether the tutelage of the Portuguese coach.

The City Ground has been a superior fortress for the Tricky Trees this term, nevertheless Sunday's visitors to Goodison Park are nary slouchers connected their top-flight travels either, with the East Midlands outfit collecting 17 points from 9 league outings, a tally that lone Chelsea (20) and Liverpool (20) tin better.

Forest volition beryllium striving to grounds 3 consecutive Premier League distant victories earlier the adjacent of 2024, with Nuno's boys ending the unbeaten grounds of Brentford astatine the Gtech Community Stadium during their past distant contention connected December 21, erstwhile Ola Aina and Elanga made the nett ripple successful West London.

Everton Premier League form:

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:

Team News

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A much-needed root of creativity for Everton, Dwight McNeil is warring hard to instrumentality for the sojourn of Forest, with the attacker a uncertainty aft missing the past 3 Premier League games.

A leader for the Toffees connected the bluish broadside of Manchester past clip out, Senegal planetary Ndiaye picked up a calf problem, though the contented is believed to beryllium minor.

The hosts volition invited backmost the services of Ashley Young, who was suspended for the contention astatine Man City aft picking up his 5th yellowish paper of the run versus Chelsea.

The 39-year-old could beryllium consecutive backmost into the XI, particularly considering the fittingness worries of Seamus Coleman, who mightiness not beryllium asked to commencement 2 games successful the abstraction of 4 days.

Dyche volition beryllium incapable to telephone upon the talents of some James Garner (back) and Tim Iroegbunam (foot), with the midfield duo targeting returns successful the New Year.

A surviving subordinate of Nottingham Forest's promotion-winning campaign, Ryan Yates volition beryllium unavailable connected Sunday aft collecting his 5th caution of the word connected Boxing Day.

As a result, summertime accomplishment Elliot Anderson volition necessitate a caller spouse astatine the basal of midfield, with Nicolas Dominguez a apical campaigner for the role.

The Tricky Trees besides person a brace of semipermanent absentees successful their ranks, with some Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) and Danilo (ankle) constricted to watching briefs.

Everton imaginable starting lineup:
Pickford; Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Harrison, Mangala, Gueye, Doucoure, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin

We say: Everton 1-1 Nottingham Forest

After holding members of the accepted apical six to draws successful each of their past 3 matches, Everton volition beryllium softly assured of earning a affirmative effect against high-flying Nottingham Forest.

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