Nottingham Forest-Everton is a match valid for the twenty-sixth day of the Premier League and is played on Sunday at 3pm: TV, formations, predictions.
While the fight for the Premier League title is now down to just two teams – Arsenal and Manchester City – there is an absolute tussle for safety. From 12th place on down, in fact, no one can stay quiet.
Not even Nottingham Forest and Everton, who in one of the two Sunday’s postponements will face off in a thrilling clash. Respectively 14th and 19th in the table, there is only a four-point difference between the Tricky Trees and the Toffees. The worst off, however, is the Liverpool club, second to last and in the relegation zone. After being narrowly saved last year, Everton are in serious danger of ending up downstairs. The change in the bench was perhaps a little late: the club should have turned first to Sean Dyche, the former Burnley coach who took over from Frank Lampard a few weeks ago. The debut was one of the best – a victory against Arsenal – but in the last two days there have been as many defeats. The first was against Aston Villa, the second in the play-off against the Gunners, who immediately retaliated. In both matches, the Toffees went scoreless.
Two teams scoring with the dropper
Dyche is probably not the right man to try and revitalise what remains the worst attack in the tournament, with just seventeen goals scored.
Mykolenko
But it is mainly in the defensive half of the pitch that Everton will have to grow to bring home another save. Nottingham Forest also struggled to swell the opponent’s net, scoring barely a goal more than Everton. Steve Cooper’s men have slowed down sharply in the last three rounds: the fixture was not an easy one but it is curious that the only point came at home against none other than Manchester City, who were held to a 1-1 draw at the City Ground.
The Prediction
Nottingham Forest have won almost all their points at their own stadium, which has only been breached by three teams. Steve Cooper and his men, unbeaten in eight home matches, are likely to make the home factor count in this delicate salvation clash. Not much of a spectacle is expected at the City Ground: the total number of goals is likely to be less than three.
Nottingham Forest-Everton matchday squad
- NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-3-2-1): Navas; Williams, Worrall, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Freuler, Shelvey, Mangala; Johnson, Gibbs-White; Wood.
- EVERTON (4-5-1): Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Onana, Gueye, Doucouré, McNeil; Maupay.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
