Nottingham Forest 0 – 1 Everton
Everton faced a difficult test on Saturday when they took on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground… and it was a painful scrappy slog of a game low on quality until the 94th minute when Everton broke Forest-style and Abdoulaye Doucoure finished them off with a real quality finish.
David Moyes has decided to give Armando Broja his first starting role despite not scoring in the last 6 games as a sub; Mykolenko returns but Doucoure and Harrison seem to be the first names on the team sheet yet again with Charly Alcaraz dropped to the bench. James Garner is restored in place of Tim Iroegbunam.
Chris Wood returns for the home side. Jota and Álex Moreno also start for the Reds.
Everton kicked off in time-honoured manner, and kept it up in Forest’s half for the initial efforts. Garner stopped a Forest foray but Harrison could not keep the turnover rolling as possession continued to flip-flop, with Everton doing well to keep the pressure on.
Broja looked to be set for a chance but it went back to Gana who smacked his shot into the Everton centre-forward. Harrison incurred Pawson’s wrath and earned a stern talking to for his late challenge on Gibbs-White.
Forest tried to break through Jota but it really looked like Branthwaiite dived to draw the free-kick, with very little contact. The free-kick saw Jake O’Brien surging in from the right but unable to find Broja. Garner was next to be called for a foul. But Everton had dominated the first 10 minutes.
A difficult cross from Harrison found Ndiaye falling backwards. No penalty… although Williams did have his arm on the Everton player. Braanthwaite then runs across Jota off the ball, bodychecking him, and he collapses as if shot. Branthwaite a bit lucky there…
Forest free-kick. nothing from it, and from the turnover, Broja was blocked off the ball by Murillo. Strange physicality to the game! Free-kick wasted. Pawson had had enough and it was a stupid grapple by Doucoucre that saw him get the first stupid yellow card.
But Everton had hopefully made a strong statement that they were not going to be anybody’s patsy in this one, fighting well for every ball, albeit without really threatening. Gana stepped in strongly to push the ball through to Broja but it was Harrison who cut in and shot over the Forest goal.
Gana blocked a strong Domínguez shot at source as Forest started to push up more. Jota caught Garner but no yellow card for him. Ndiaye wriggled through but his shot was terribly weak. Everton forced another midfield turnover but soon lost the ball; rinse and repeat, Gana fouling Anderson. All very scrappy.
Harrison got in from the right and set up Garner beautifully, he hit it first time but Sels got down well to stop it. Everton had a couple of corners but the bizarre ballooned delivery high over everyone just never seems to work.
With 25 minutes gone, Forest finally got close, Jota shooting low for Pickford to save. Everton came forward again, Ndiaye playing it out to Mykolenko who crossed first time for Broja but Ndiaye could not get clean contact on the return ball with Milenković marshalling him well.
Hudson-Odoi got past Harrison on the Forest left, but Jota’s header didn’t cause Pickford any trouble. Tarkowski tried a long ball up to Broja but it showed Everton were already running short of ideas in terms of penetrating the strong Forest defence.
Forest attacked but Garner stole the ball brilliantly off Hudson-Odoi. But Everton were just not doing enough with the turnover ball. Broja forced his way forward, and passed out to Harrison but Ndiaye could not put any power behind the header, falling backwards.
More Everton possession: Mykolenko, Doucuore, Harrison and Gana playing it around the Forest area. But on the turnover, another clumsy clattering of Jota saw Branthwaite booked.
Lots more midfield turnovers, but with Forest getting stronger and more determined, Gibbs-White firing well wide from 30 yards out. Everton got the ball forward, Mykolenko trying to cross but being blocked. Forest advanced quickly and Hudson-Odoi stung Pickford’s gloves.
And there was only a minute added on as this scrappy ding-dong stalemate went to the break.
Harrison was in with another cross after the restart but Doucoure was the wrong side of the defender, who he floored. Everton continued to dominate the ball but didn’t show enough guile to break into the Forst area and instead took it all the way back into their own half!
Murillo needed treatment for his shoulder. A Mykolenko throw-in saw another slew of turnovers as the scrappy play resumed. Ndiaye battled away until Williams dived when touched. Free-kick to Forest.
Moreno got forward and won a throw-in that went through to Pickford. Then FOrest came forward a bit more strongly, Hudson-Ooi making space but shooting at Pickford. Tarkowski cleared long, a brilliant ball to Ndiaye who should have fired home but took an extra touch and Sels was out and all over him.
But Everton got a free-kick that produced a loose ball but no Blue shirt was ready to pounce on it. Pickford then went long and Moreno gifted Everton a corner. But Pawson called a foul as it came in.
At the other end, Jota’s shot was blocked by Branthwaite and Elanga came on. Broja and Harrison drove in but their way was blocked. Ndiaye tried to make space for a shot but he’s just not strong enough.
Forest had a strong spell of pressure but Everton’s defence stood firm. A cross saw Woods go flying under heavy breathing from O’Brien, then a clever flick by Moreno does not catch out Pickford.
O’Brien did well to halt Huddson-Odoi. But Forest were being told by their crowd to get something from the nothingness they were watching. Broja was pulled for Beto.
Harrison forced a corner off Murillo and up came Everton’s big players, the decent delivery headed clear by Domínguez. The Forest counter was on but a poor pass ended it immediately. Alcaraz came on for Ndiaye, and Everton mounted a strong attack with seven players in the Forest area, winning another corner.
Garner swung it in but Williams got his head on it. Gana looped it back in and O’Brien fought hard to win it, his shot deflected for another Everton corner but that went behind for a goal kick.
Beto was fouled by Domínguez, but Williams squaled when touched by Tarkowski and Pawson gave Forest the free-kick. Alcaraz drove Everton forward and the cross came down for Dococure but Williams blocked it behind for another corner.
Forest fans unhappy with all this Everton pressure but it was that ridiculous ballistic missile again, way past the far post and straight out of play from Garner. What a ridiculous corner.
But Everton got forward again through Alcaraz, Doucoure in to Harrison who spun on the penalty spot and scooped his shot just over the bar. Branthwaite fell awkwardly after Yates barged him for an aerial ball.
Williams fouled Mykolenko wide left, then as the ball was cleared, Yates body-checked Alcaraz and it looked bad about Pawson et al said it was “a coming together”: no penalty.
Everton attacked again, Harrison crossing in, the ball cleared to Garner who had time but cracked the shot horribly wide and hurt himself as a result! Kinda summed up the total lack of quality in the final third going into the last 10 minutes.
Everton seemed to have spent most of the game in Forest’s half but just unable to create anything approaching a decent goalscoring opportunity despite a welter of set-pieces, all so far wasted. Time for another free-kick, headed back across by Tarkowski.
Another ball into the Forest area but it’s crowded and again no blue shirt able to pounce on it. More brilliant drive from Alcaraz and Beto tumbles over Murillo, VAR says nothing doing.
Forest tried to break through Gibbs-White, Gana dragging him back for a yellow card. Finally, Forest got forward but they had nothing to show either, as we went into the final minute of a totally unmemorable game, McNeil on for Harrison.
Docucoure drove down the right bit his cross was way too hard-hit, and the umpteenth Everton attack just dissolved into nothingness. A ball back to Beto looked like a great chance but he sidefooted the bouncing ball sky high. Terrible!
At the other end, Mykolenko had to head behind a cross that was falling for Woods. But the corner was cleared by Alcaraz and McNeil scampered forward in a rapid counter, three blue shirts to one, slipping the ball across to Docuocure and he finished superbly to send the Evertonians behind that goal into raptures.
Everton now had something meaningful to defend, and defend they did with determination, Nuno Espirito Santo looking, er, dispirited as he watched on.
A poor game of error-ridden football… but a fantastic win for David Moyes and for Everton — and for the much-maligned Abdoulaye Douocoure.
Nottingham Forest: Sels, Williams, Milenković, Murillo, Moreno, Domínguez (75′ Yates), Anderson, Gibbs-White, Jota (59′ Elanga), Hudson-Odoi, Wood.
Subs not Used: Miguel, Morato, Sangaré, Sosa, Danilo, Boly, Abbott.
Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite [Y:39′], Tarkowski, O’Brien, Ndiaye (67′ Alcaraz), Garner, Gueye [Y:87′], Doucoure [Y:16′], Harrison (90′ McNeil), Broja (64′ Beto).
Subs not Used: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Chermiti, Young, Iroegbunam
Kick-off: 3:00 pm Saturday 12 April 2025
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistants: Tim Wood, Craig Taylor
Fourth official: Anthony Backhouse
Video Assistant Referee: John Brooks
Assistant VAR: Akil Howson
Attendance: 30,199