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Will Forest find the control they need at the City Ground, or does Everton’s aerial edge swing the balance? Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
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Both teams have averaged exactly one goal per game this season, scoring 18 times in 18 matches. The visitors have failed to score in their last three league games and are missing their joint-top scorers. Statistically, 67% of the visitors' matches have seen two or fewer goals, and both teams are noted for being weak at finishing chances. With both managers likely prioritizing defensive stability to avoid a defeat against a close rival in the table, a high-scoring game seems unlikely.
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With both sides locked on 18 goals for the season and displaying similar tactical setups, a draw is a frequent outcome for teams of this profile. The home side has drawn three games while the visitors have four stalemates this season. Given the defensive resilience of the visiting backline and the home side's slight shot-volume advantage, a single goal for each side reflects a balanced contest where neither has the clinical edge to secure all three points.
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Nottingham Forest vs Everton Predictions and Best Bets
Nottingham Forest vs Everton — bet365 Market Snapshot
Pricing shown below for informational purposes. Swipe for key match markets.
Match odds suggest a tight encounter with Forest as slight home favourites based on current listings.
- Same goals, different context: Nottingham Forest and Everton have both scored 18 Premier League goals from 18 matches, yet Forest sit 17th on 18 points while Everton are 12th on 25.
- Forest shoot more often in the league: Forest average 12 shots per Premier League match compared with Everton’s 10.6, which hints at slightly greater attempt volume even if finishing remains a shared concern.
- Aerial numbers underline a key matchup: Tarkowski averages 3.8 aerials won per match and Keane 3.6, while Forest’s top aerial figure is Milenkovic on 2.7, shaping the crossing battle.
Offensive Output: Goals Scored This Season
Both sides enter this fixture with identical goal-scoring records across their first 18 Premier League matches.
Averaging exactly 1.0 goals per game, with a shot volume of 12 attempts per match.
Mirroring the hosts’ output with 18 goals, though averaging slightly fewer shots at 10.6 per game.
Aerial Dominance: Duels Won Per Match
A comparison of the top-performing aerial threats likely to feature in central defense.
Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche will see his current side welcome his previous club Everton to the City Ground on Tuesday, with both teams arriving off very different weekends. Forest were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City on Saturday, a result that leaves them 17th in the Premier League with 18 points. Everton, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Burnley the same day and sit 12th with 25 points.
It’s the sort of midweek fixture that doesn’t need extra narrative dressing: one side looking over its shoulder, the other trying to keep a firmer grip on mid-table. But the matchup does have a few built-in sparks. Forest’s strengths and weaknesses paint a team that can protect a lead, yet carries soft spots in set-piece defending, aerial duels, long shots and individual errors. Everton’s profile is similarly two-sided: very strong in aerial duels and strong at creating chances through individual skill, but also weak in possession, finishing, through-ball defending and avoiding errors.
And stylistically, there’s overlap. Both are tagged as liking width and crosses, and both are described as attacking down the left. Put those together and you can see why this could become a game of repeated wide deliveries, second balls, and moments where one lapse in concentration turns into a big chance in a hurry. Sometimes those nights are chaotic. Sometimes they’re controlled. Often they’re both, in alternating five-minute spells.
Team News and Likely Set-Ups
Forest’s possible starting XI is Victor; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus. That reads like a familiar 4-2-3-1 structure: a back four, a double pivot, three attacking midfielders and a central striker.
The shape suggests a few obvious pressure points. With Morgan Gibbs-White central behind Igor Jesus, Forest’s best moments may come when that line can receive between Everton’s midfield and defence and quickly connect to runners either side. Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the wide roles also fit with Forest’s stated preference to play with width and attempt crosses often, giving them a natural route to pin Everton’s full-backs and work the ball into the box.
At the back, Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo look like the central pairing in this possible XI, and Milenkovic’s aerial output in the squad stats stands out. That matters against an Everton side described as very strong in aerial duels and likely to bring plenty of direct play and crossing. It’s a night where clearing your lines cleanly may be just as valuable as building attacks.
Everton’s possible XI is Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Iroegbunam, Garner; Dibling, Alcaraz, Grealish; Beto. That also points towards a 4-2-3-1, with a similar “two holders, three creators, one striker” feel.
The key difference is in the profiles within it. Everton’s strengths include aerial duels, and their likely spine here contains James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, both strong for aerials won per match, with Beto also contributing in that department. If Everton choose to make this direct, they have the bodies to support it. In the three behind Beto, Jack Grealish is listed on the left, with Tyler Dibling and Charly Alcaraz completing the line. The combination leans into Everton’s strengths around individual skill and their style note about attempting through balls often.
There’s also a named availability note: Dan Ndoye is listed as having a knock, while Angus Gunn is marked as no eligibility until 31.12.2025, and Willy Boly is listed as called up to a national team until 19.01.2026. Dilane Bakwa is also listed with an unknown injury. Forest’s possible XI does not include Ndoye, Gunn or Boly, while Bakwa appears elsewhere in the squad list rather than the suggested starters.
How the Match Could Be Played
With both sides set up in a similar base shape, this could come down to how the wide areas are managed — and how quickly the game flips from “controlled build” to “scramble”. Forest’s style points to width, frequent crosses and an emphasis on attacking down the left. Everton’s style also points to long balls, crosses often, attacking down the left and taking a lot of shots, alongside a note about controlling the game in the opposition’s half.
That last detail is important. If Everton can establish territory early, they can pin Forest back and repeatedly work the ball into crossing positions. With Everton’s aerial-duel strength and Forest’s weakness in aerial duels, that’s not just a stylistic preference — it’s a direct matchup they may look to lean on. It would also test Forest’s set-piece defending, another listed weakness, because sustained pressure tends to create corners and free-kicks even without clean chances.
Forest, though, aren’t forced into passivity by default. Their passing and possession numbers in the Premier League are higher than Everton’s, and their likely XI includes midfielders with strong pass percentages. That suggests they can try to play through Everton’s first wave rather than simply clearing long. The question is whether that approach invites the very danger Everton do well — stealing territory high up the pitch and creating chances through individual skill — or whether it gives Forest the platform to release Hudson-Odoi and Hutchinson quickly into space.
In possession, Forest’s 4-2-3-1 lends itself to two main routes, both supported by their style notes. One is the wide route: work the ball to Williams or Hudson-Odoi down the left, attempt crosses, and try to create chaos around the six-yard area. The other is the central route: use Gibbs-White as the connector, draw Everton’s double pivot towards him, and then slide passes into the channels for the wide forwards or for Jesus making runs beyond.
Everton’s likely plan can look similar on the surface but different in the detail. Their style includes long balls and through balls, which can mean bypassing midfield to find Beto early, then playing off second balls and quick combinations in the final third. With Grealish, Alcaraz and Dibling behind him, Everton have players who can pick up loose clearances and turn them into immediate attacks. That’s where Forest’s weaknesses in avoiding individual errors and defending against long shots may show up: a cheap turnover or half-clearance can become a shooting chance from the edge of the box, and Forest are explicitly weak at defending long shots.
The defensive profiles add another layer of tension. Everton are weak at defending against through-ball attacks, while Forest’s strengths aren’t described as chance-creation but their shape naturally supports third-man runs and quick slips in behind when the number ten gets time. If Gibbs-White can receive on the half-turn, and if Hutchinson or Hudson-Odoi can dart into the space behind a stepping defender, Forest can create the kind of moments that don’t require long spells of dominance.
Game-state could also matter. Both sides are labelled strong at protecting the lead. That’s a cue for how the match might change after the first goal: more compact shapes, fewer risks in central areas, and a bigger reliance on set plays and transitions. It won’t necessarily make for a dull game, but it can make the next goal harder to find — and the next mistake more expensive.
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The Numbers That Support the Story
In Premier League terms, both sides have scored 18 goals from 18 matches. That symmetry matters because it hints at why this could feel tight even with contrasting league positions: neither side has been rattling goals in for fun.
The way they go about building attacks differs, though. Forest average 12 shots per league match, while Everton average 10.6. Shots per game is a simple measure of how frequently teams get attempts away; here it suggests Forest are generating attempts slightly more often, which matters when you’re trying to relieve pressure at home and keep the game away from your own box.
Possession and pass success also frame the likely tempo. Forest average 49.9% possession with an 82.9% pass success rate in the league, while Everton average 43.3% possession and 79.4% pass success. That supports the idea of Forest having more of the ball, at least in patches, and Everton being comfortable playing without it before stepping into the game in specific moments.
The set-piece and aerial themes are backed up by individual numbers too. Tarkowski averages 3.8 aerials won per match and Keane 3.6, while Milenkovic is Forest’s top aerial winner at 2.7 per match and Jesus contributes 2.5. Those numbers matter because they don’t just describe “who wins headers”; they tell you where pressure can build. If Everton can turn attacks into repeated crosses and set plays, those aerial strengths become a practical weapon.
Discipline is worth noting as a possible texture-setter. Forest have 43 yellow cards across their played games, while Everton have 38. That doesn’t automatically mean a card-fest, but it hints at a match where duels and stop-start moments can become part of the rhythm, especially if both sides are leaning on crossing battles and second balls.
Key “Moments” to Watch
The first spell of Everton territory will be revealing. If Everton can “control the game in the opposition’s half” as their style suggests, Forest’s defensive weaknesses — set pieces, aerial duels, long shots and individual errors — will be tested in quick succession. One corner leads to another, one blocked shot falls invitingly, and suddenly the home crowd is holding its breath.
Forest’s left side could be their route back into the match. Their style points to attacking down the left, and the possible XI includes Williams plus Hudson-Odoi on that flank. If Forest can get repeated deliveries into the box, they can test Everton’s own weaknesses around defending through balls and avoiding individual errors — because most errors don’t happen in a vacuum; they happen under repeated stress.
Watch the central creators for both sides. Gibbs-White’s role as Forest’s connector matters because Everton’s double pivot of Iroegbunam and Garner will try to deny him clean turns. For Everton, Grealish and Alcaraz in the line behind Beto fit the profile of a team strong at creating chances through individual skill. If either side’s number-ten zone gets time, the match can lurch from cagey to open very quickly.
Then there’s finishing — not as a cliché, but as a specific shared concern. Both teams are labelled weak at finishing scoring chances. In a match where both have 18 league goals from 18 games, that weakness can show up as a familiar story: good approaches, half-chances, and then the final touch that doesn’t quite match the move.
What could go wrong with this read? Similar shapes can cancel each other out, especially if both double pivots stay disciplined and both back fours refuse to step out. And with both sides flagged as weak at avoiding individual errors, the decisive moment can come from something no tactical board ever draws: a loose pass, a misjudged header, or a poor first touch under pressure.
Best Bet for Nottingham Forest vs Everton
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Under 2.5 Goals
This encounter at the City Ground features two sides that have struggled for consistent offensive output, with both teams having scored exactly 18 goals in 18 league matches this season. This average of one goal per game suggests a high degree of difficulty in finding the back of the net, a trend reinforced by recent form. The visitors arrive having failed to score in their last three league outings, missing the creative influence of key individuals like Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Their tactical setup under David Moyes has prioritized defensive solidity, leading to under 2.5 goals occurring in 67% of their matches this campaign.
Stylistically, the matchup points toward a cagey affair dominated by physical duels and defensive organization. Both teams are identified as being strong at protecting a lead, which often leads to more compact shapes and reduced risk-taking once the deadlock is broken. Furthermore, both squads are explicitly noted as being weak at finishing scoring chances. When a lack of clinical edge is combined with a heavy reliance on wide deliveries and second balls—areas where both teams focus their attacks—the result is often a high volume of crosses that are dealt with by aerially dominant defenders like James Tarkowski and Nikola Milenkovic.
The tactical overlap between the two managers also supports a low-scoring outcome. Both sides like to attack down the left and utilize width, yet Everton’s strength in aerial duels directly counters Forest’s preference for frequent crosses. Conversely, Forest’s disciplined double pivot will aim to stifle the individual skill of creators like Jack Grealish. Given the high stakes for the home side sitting in 17th and the visitors’ recent run of goalless displays, neither team is likely to commit excessive bodies forward, making a tight, low-scoring contest the most logical expectation.
What could go wrong?
Individual errors are a noted weakness for both teams, and a single lapse in concentration—such as a misjudged header or a poor clearance—could gift a goal that forces the game to open up. Additionally, if Jack Grealish returns from illness and finds success in isolated one-on-one situations, his individual skill could create high-quality chances that bypass the general trend of defensive dominance.
Correct score lean: 1-1
A 1-1 draw is a highly plausible outcome given the statistical and tactical profiles of these two teams. Both sides possess identical scoring records of 18 goals in 18 games, highlighting a shared difficulty in separating themselves from opponents. While the visitors have struggled to score recently, the home side has also failed to find the net in three of their last six league fixtures. Historically, this matchup is frequently tight, and with both teams described as strong at protecting a lead but weak in finishing, a scenario where they trade goals but cannot find a winner is a strong possibility.
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