Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have their say on the Reds’ Premier League clash at home to Everton on Saturday
Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have offered their prediction for Nottingham Forest vs Everton
Nottingham Forest face a huge clash at home to Everton on Saturday at the City Ground.
A 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa on November 5 is the Reds only victory in the last nine matches. Forest currently sit 15th in the table and are eight points clear of the relegation zone, but manager Steve Cooper is said to be “under pressure” although other reports have claimed that owner Evangelos Marinakis is fully behind him.
And pundits Paul Merson and Chris Sutton have offered their predictions for Saturday’s game. Both believe that the Toffees will come away from Trentside with all three points.
“I thought Everton were going to cause Manchester United problems last week at Goodison Park. But Alejandro Garnacho’s worldie took the stuffing out of them,” Merson told Sportskeeda. “They created really good chances in the first half but failed to take any of them and eventually lost by a big margin.
“Nottingham Forest huffed and puffed against Brighton last week. Take away the Goodies’ last result (the loss against Manchester United) and they’ve done decently of late.
“I’m gonna go with Everton here. It’s a massive game for them. If they lose this game to Forest, they’ll be 12 points behind them. Forest are one of the teams Everton will be looking to chase down and therefore, they need those three points here”
Sutton agreed as he shared his belief that the Reds face a “big game” against the Toffees. He also states his opinion that Marinakis’ expectations for Forest “could be a problem” for Cooper.
“This feels like a big game for Nottingham Forest, who saw their unbeaten home record ended by Brighton last week,” he told BBC Sport. “I am reading that boss Steve Cooper is under pressure now, and his problem is the expectations of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. I think Marinakis has to be careful because he doesn’t seem to understand the connection Cooper has with the fans.
“Everton are obviously badly in need of the points too. I actually thought they were unlucky against Manchester United last weekend – yes, they lost 3-0, but they created plenty of chances. My first thought here was a draw but I actually just have a feeling that Sean Dyche will find a way, and Everton will edge this one.”
Merson’s prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Everton
Chris Sutton’s prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton
