Everton Face Forest déjà vu Amid Injuries and AFCON Absences

Everton face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, and for ex-Everton manager Sean Dyche, this is a huge opportunity to increase the gap above the relegation zone.

The reverse fixture for this game was played at the start of the month, with the Toffees coming out winners with a 3-0 swipe of a lacklustre Forest side. The opening goal came in the 2nd minute, as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cross struck the head of Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic and flew into the back of the net. After a period of pressure from Dyche’s squad, a rapid-fire counterattack allowed Thierno Barry to slot one home, that being the French striker’s first goal for the Blues. Finally, a sweet volley from Dewsbury-Hall in the closing stages would mark a marvellous evening at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Since the result, Everton are yet to win a game. The same can’t be said for Nottingham Forest, however, with a result in the Europa League, a 2-1 win against Utrecht, and a standout 3-0 battering against Spurs making up for the last two games, that being a slender defeat to Fulham and an inevitable defeat to Man City.

For the Toffees, there is no doubt there is a transition of the style of play underway. Over the last couple of weeks, key players who are a part of Moyes’ squad have been unavailable to play. The African Cup of Nations, an international competition in Africa, has commenced, meaning Idrissa Gana Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye will be unavailable for the Blues for the time being, as both individuals will represent Senegal.

As well, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall, joint-top Everton goalscorer thus far this season, is experiencing a thigh issue. After being substituted in the 16th minute against Chelsea, Moyes stated in the pre-match press conference against Arsenal that: “Kiernan is doing well but not available for the game. He'll be a big miss for us, but that's what happens at this time of the year - every club has got injuries and suspensions - so we're no different to anybody else. We have [a timeline], but I'm not telling you.” Jack Grealish is confirmed to have suffered a virus over the Christmas period too and is currently deemed unfit, though Moyes has said that the Englishman may be back this week “with a bit of luck”.

The mass change in players has allowed for the likes of Tyler Dibling, Carlos Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil to step up, giving them a chance to cement their place in the starting eleven. A huge opportunity to prove something to David Moyes was not taken by any player, as last time out Everton travelled to Turf Moor in a stalemate goalless draw, in a game lacking any real intensity, with chances few and far between. There’s another chance here, though, for players to shine, but have Everton hit a roadblock?

When asked about the squad’s performance on Saturday, Moyes explained that “it was always going to be a bit of a challenge, but I really hoped that we'd play much better. Lots of the football wasn't of the level that it should be,” also mentioning the tightness of the table at the moment, showing the competitive nature of the Premier League as “if you win two, you might move up to fifth; if you lose two, you might drop down to 15th. We want to keep picking up points where we can."

Four of Everton’s most creative players are unavailable, so the real question is, how will Moyes fix this?

Maybe Forest’s injury list will give Everton a helping hand, as Ivory Coast duo Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly are representing their nation at AFCON, and Ola Aina (muscle), Chris Wood (knee), Ryan Yates (hamstring) and Dan Ndoye are unavailable for the clash at the City Ground.

When asked about the reverse fixture, Dyche agreed that Forest were “miles off that day” and focused on the development of a lot of players adapting to the league, stating that “everything is not answered. There's still players here who are developing into the Premier League. They're still a side that are developing and I'm getting used to them and still learning about them. It's an ongoing process."

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Matchweek 19:

Tuesday 30th December:

Burnley 19:30 Newcastle

Chelsea 19:30 Bournemouth

Nottingham Forest 19:30 Everton

West Ham 19:30 Brighton

Arsenal 20:15 Aston Villa

Man United 20:15 Wolves

Tuesday 1st January:

Crystal Palace 17:30 Fulham

Liverpool 17:30 Leeds

Brentford 20:00 Spurs

Sunderland 20:00 Man City

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Thank you for reading my pre-match article!