Nottingham Forest Host Everton in Pursuit of Champions League Ambitions
Nottingham Forest welcome Everton to the City Ground on Saturday as they aim to bounce back from a defeat to Aston Villa and keep their Champions League hopes alive. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side currently holds a four-point cushion over Chelsea and Newcastle in the Premier League standings and will be eager to maintain that advantage.
Premier League Table (Top 7)
1. Liverpool – 31 MP, 22 W, 7 D, 2 L, GD 42, Pts 73
2. Arsenal – 31 MP, 20 W, 7 D, 4 L, GD 30, Pts 67
3. Nottingham Forest – 31 MP, 17 W, 6 D, 8 L, GD 14, Pts 57
4. Chelsea – 31 MP, 15 W, 8 D, 8 L, GD 17, Pts 53
5. Newcastle – 30 MP, 16 W, 5 D, 9 L, GD 13, Pts 53
6. Man City – 31 MP, 15 W, 7 D, 9 L, GD 17, Pts 52
7. Aston Villa – 31 MP, 14 W, 9 D, 8 L, GD 5, Pts 51
Ahead of the match, Espirito Santo kept his cards close to his chest during his press conference, offering little clarity on the availability of Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Ola Aina.
With potential absentees and Everton coming off a gritty draw against Arsenal, pundits Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane are divided on their predictions for the weekend clash.
Carragher and Keane Split on Saturday’s Result
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher confidently predicted a 1-0 win for Forest. However, Keane swiftly disagreed, stating, “No, Everton will score,” before offering his own prediction of a 1-1 draw. The former Forest midfielder, who made his debut under Brian Clough, may have ruffled some feathers among Forest supporters with his take.
Forest’s Recent Record Against Everton
Forest claimed a 2-0 win at Goodison Park in December — their first victory over Everton since rejoining the Premier League in 2022 — with goals from Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White.
Premier League Meetings Since 2022/23:
Everton 1-1 Nottingham Forest (2022/23)
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Everton (2022/23)
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton (2023/24)
Everton 2-0 Nottingham Forest (2023/24)
Everton 0-2 Nottingham Forest (2024/25)
Last season, Dwight McNeil’s stunner sealed a win for Everton at the City Ground. Later that season, a controversial 2-0 defeat for Forest led the club to issue a statement criticizing VAR official Stuart Attwell, labeling him a “Luton fan.”
With both clubs no longer in a relegation scrap and facing very different objectives this season, Saturday’s encounter promises a cleaner, more focused contest.
‘Everton will score’… Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher just cannot agree on Nottingham Forest prediction
