Nottingham Forest ended 2024 by beating Everton away however they’ve solely earned one level from the previous 5 Premier League conferences between the edges on the City Ground. BBC Sport explores a number of the talking points for Tuesday’s recreation.
Sean Dyche has switched golf equipment in 2025 however in any other case ends the 12 months the way in which he started it, in a relegation scrap. Dyche was sacked as Everton supervisor on 9 January with Everton sixteenth within the desk and one level away from the underside three. He took over a Nottingham Forest aspect in even better peril in late October however they at the moment have a five-point cushion over the dropzone.
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Nonetheless, consistency has been a difficulty for Forest underneath Dyche. They have suffered back-to-back league defeats for the primary time underneath him, albeit an industrious show in opposition to Manchester City final trip was a substantial enchancment on the lacklustre exhibiting away at Fulham earlier than Christmas.
Chris Wood’s 20 objectives have been important in Forest incomes European qualification final season. Without him due to persistent knee issues, no Forest participant has greater than three league objectives this season. Winless Wolves are the one membership whose prime scorer has fewer.
A scarcity of objectives can be holding again Everton. They and Forest are the joint-second lowest scorers within the division, averaging solely a purpose per recreation.
Both sides rank center of the pack for the variety of purpose makes an attempt they’ve had within the Premier League this season however their high quality of ending lets them down.
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Everton have solely transformed 29% of their huge probabilities – conditions through which a participant would moderately be anticipated to attain. It is the bottom determine within the prime flight.
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Four-goal main scorers Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall have been each lacking in opposition to Burnley, whereas Jack Grealish was dominated out with a virus. Their absence was keenly felt in a dire goalless draw.
It signifies that Everton, who moved as much as fifth within the desk with a 3-0 residence win over Nottingham Forest earlier this month, have gone three Premier League video games with no purpose for the primary time in practically a 12 months.
Strikers Beto and Thierno Barry solely have one league purpose apiece this season, leaving supervisor David Moyes to concede: “That’s not good enough and we need to find more goals.”
It is not going to be misplaced on any Everton followers that Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who selected to go away the membership in the summertime after a nine-year spell, is having fun with a six-match goalscoring streak for Leeds.