Everton’s good form continued with an impressive 3-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium over Nottingham Forest.
The Toffees move into fifth in the Premier League, taking their record since the start of November to four wins, one draw and one loss.
It was a fast start for David Moyes’ side. Just two minutes into the clash with the East Midlands outfit, Forest centre-back Nikola Milenkovic headed a cross into the back of his own net, to give Everton the lead almost immediately.
Then, in the third minute of stoppage time before half-time, the Evertonians doubled their lead. It was a significant moment for Thierno Barry, who got off the mark in that famous Blue shirt after some impressive performances of late.
Iliman Ndiaye carried the ball to the edge of the Forest box before laying it into the path of Barry, who slotted home.
The perfect day for Moyes’ side was capped off in the 80th minute when another summer signing, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, drilled home a volley after the ball bounced to him from a corner. Everton ran out deserved winners to continue their excellent form.
It was a day to remember for the Toffees, with some standout performances.
Everton’s standout players vs. Forest
This will certainly be a day that Thierno Barry remembers. The Frenchman bagged his very first goal in an Everton shirt, showing the sort of quality in front of goal that earned him the big move to the Premier League from Villarreal in the summer.
What a tidy finish it was from the Toffees’ number 11, too. Ndiaye drove towards the penalty box, with Barry making a good diagonal run to find space.
The finish was composed, slotting it past Matz Sels.
Speaking of Ndiaye, the Senegalese attacker was in imperious form once again. So often the source of everything the Merseysiders do well in attack, he was a handful for the Forest defence and, of course, set Barry up.
One person who was impressed by Ndiaye’s efforts was Chris Beesley, Everton reporter for the Liverpool Echo. He gave the attacker a 7/10 rating, praising him for ‘always providing an outlet for his side’ throughout the night.
However, neither Barry nor Ndiaye were the stars of the show for Moyes’ side in a fantastic win.
Everton’s best player in their 3-0 win
What a performance it was from another of the Everton summer signings, Dewsbury-Hall.
The Englishman was at the heart of the Toffees’ midfield today, scoring his excellent goal late on, putting in the cross for the own goal, and offering plenty more on the ball.
The stats reflect just how well Dewsbury-Hall performed against the East Midlands outfit. He had 56 touches and 86% of his passes.
Off the ball, it was a masterclass from the former Leicester City star. He won an exceptional 8/13 ground duels and made five ball recoveries.
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Dewsbury-Hall stats vs. Forest |
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|---|---|
|
Stat |
Number |
|
Touches |
56 |
|
Pass accuracy |
86% |
|
Opposition half passes |
16/20 |
|
Ground duels won |
8/13 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5 |
|
Tackles won |
3/4 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Stats from Sofascore |
|
Dewsbury-Hall left thousands of Toffees fans impressed with his performance against Forest. Well, the same can be said for journalists, with Beesley giving him a 9/10 for his efforts, explaining he was ‘bright from the start’.
There is a case to be made that Dewsbury-Hall, described as the club’s “most important and best” player by journalist John Merro, is their best signing since Ndiaye.
The Senegalese attacker has been sensational since moving to Merseyside last summer, racking up 17 goals and assists in 54 games.
As for the English midfielder, he has brought creativity and final third threat to Moyes’ side in just 15 games, with four goals and two assists so far.
However, the tenacity off the ball, on full show against Sean Dyche’s side, has been crucial this season too. It is certainly easy to see why Merro is of that opinion.
After paying just £28m for him this summer from Chelsea, it is looking like one of the biggest bargains in 2025. The all-action midfielder has shone so far, just like Ndiaye has on Merseyside.
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