Everton’s rise continues as Forest slip deeper after third straight league loss

Everton maintained their upward momentum in the Premier League by inflicting a third consecutive defeat on Nottingham Forest, with rare goals from James Garner and Thierno Barry securing a 2-0 victory, Sport360NG reports.

Garner, facing his former club, opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a precise low finish after being picked out by Dwight McNeill. The midfielder, who spent time on loan at Forest and helped them earn promotion in 2022, was scoring his first goal since August and only his second in more than two years.

Barry extended Everton’s lead in the second half, converting from Garner’s through-ball to register just his second goal since completing a £27m move from Villarreal in the summer. Both of the striker’s league goals this season have come against Forest.

The win lifts Everton to eighth in the table, marking their fifth victory in nine league matches and leaving them just four points off the top four. Manager David Moyes said the congested nature of the league continues to fuel belief within his squad.

“We want to keep pushing,” Moyes said. “A few weeks ago at Chelsea we knew a win could have taken us fourth or fifth. The margins are so small. You lose and you’re near the bottom, you win and you’re challenging higher up. That’s the challenge, but this is one of our best results considering what we had available.”

For Forest, the defeat was another damaging blow in their fight to pull clear of the relegation zone. Sean Dyche’s side, who had lost to Fulham and Manchester City in their previous two outings, dominated possession but again lacked cutting edge in the final third.

Igor Jesus missed their clearest opportunity, while Everton threatened through set-pieces before sealing the points. James Tarkowski headed narrowly wide before Barry’s clinical finish ensured the visitors left with maximum points.

Forest remain 17th and face a testing run of fixtures, travelling to Aston Villa next before a crucial meeting with third-bottom West Ham, who sit just four points behind them.

Dyche admitted his side must find greater consistency. “You can talk about stats, but there wasn’t enough edge in the performance,” he said. “Expectation changes quickly. We’ve risen to the big games, but when the pressure is on us, the question is whether we can go again. That’s the next step for this group.”