Everton Stun Nottingham Forest with Late Doucoure Winner in Thrilling 1-0 Victory

City Ground, Nottingham

Abdoulaye Doucoure scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner to hand Everton a vital 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, leaving a huge dent in Forest’s Champions League aspirations.

The game had been a tense affair, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock. Despite several attempts, including James Garner’s low shot and Iliman Ndiaye’s header for Everton, and Jota Silva’s efforts for Forest, neither side could find the back of the net in the first half.

The second half saw more urgency from both teams. Forest’s Callum Hudson-Odoi tested Jordan Pickford but couldn’t find a breakthrough. With time running out, Everton struck on the counter-attack as substitute Dwight McNeil picked out Doucoure, who coolly slotted the ball past Matz Sels in the dying seconds of the match.

The result dealt a severe blow to Forest’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had climbed to third in the Premier League, but recent victories for Manchester City and Aston Villa saw them drop out of the top four, leaving them nervously looking over their shoulder.

For Everton, the win moved them up to 14th in the table, virtually securing their top-flight status for next season. Their resolute defense and late strike ensured their fourth win in 68 away games against a top-three team, sparking wild celebrations from their supporters.

Forest’s defeat marked their second in as many games, following last week’s loss to Aston Villa, and left them just four points ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea, with only six matches remaining.