Nottingham Forest’s hopes of finishing in the top five took a significant blow after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Everton at the City Ground, dealt in stoppage time by Abdoulaye Doucouré. A mistake by Brazil centre-back Murillo, who lost the ball in the Everton half, allowed Dwight McNeil to break away and set up Doucouré for the decisive goal in the 94th minute. Despite Everton’s long-standing struggles this season, they deserved the win after dominating much of the game, while Forest struggled to live up to their lofty ambitions.
With Champions League football at stake, there is growing pressure on Forest to maintain their third-place position in the Premier League. However, Saturday’s performance highlighted the nerves and tension creeping into their campaign. For much of the match, they were unable to assert control, offering little attacking threat. Instead, they stuck to their usual strategy of sitting back and waiting for counter-attacks, which rarely materialized.
Nuno Espírito Santo expressed disappointment with his team’s performance, stating that they were uncomfortable on the ball, and failed to win duels or keep the game flowing. They were unable to create any meaningful chances, while Everton were dominant in both possession and play. Despite being on a good run, Forest could not cope with the pressure of chasing a European spot.
Everton, meanwhile, have shown some improvement under David Moyes, with the team losing just twice in their last 13 Premier League matches. Although they were without a goal for much of the game, their consistent pressure eventually told, as they created several chances. Iliman Ndiaye had a chance for Everton in the first half but failed to trouble Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. The second half saw a few more dangerous moments, including a one-on-one chance for Ndiaye, which Sels dealt with calmly.
Forest’s attack was further limited by the absence of a fully-fit Chris Wood, returning from injury. Wood, who had scored 18 goals this season, struggled to make an impact and couldn’t provide the focal point that Forest desperately needed. Nuno made the decision to bring on Anthony Elanga to inject some pace and creativity, but it was clear that Forest were lacking the spark to break down Everton’s defense.
Despite limited chances in the first half, Forest’s defense had been resolute, having kept four clean sheets in their previous four home games. However, Doucouré’s clinical finish in stoppage time shattered that record and handed Forest their first home defeat since mid-November. The goal exemplified composure under pressure, something Forest could not replicate throughout the match.
David Moyes was pleased with his team’s performance, acknowledging the challenge of facing some of the best teams in the league. He expressed hope that Everton’s progress this season could continue, hinting that a repeat of Forest’s performance next year would be something to aspire to for his side. For Forest, the loss served as a stark reminder of the pressure that comes with competing for European places. With Champions League qualification still within their reach, they must quickly learn from this setback to avoid seeing their dream slip away.
Nuno acknowledged the importance of moving on from this result, stating that it was still in their hands but that no one would simply hand them the top-five finish. To keep their Champions League aspirations alive, they will need to improve and compete at a much higher level than they did against Everton. The result was a sobering wake-up call for a team with high hopes but little experience in handling such intense pressure.
