Nottingham Forest vs Everton FC Lineups: Starting XI

Boxing Day may have passed, but the year-end fixture between Nottingham Forest and Everton at the City Ground on 30 December 2025 carried its own weight. For Everton, it was a chance to break free from the relegation zone; for Nottingham Forest, a test of their midtable consistency.

Match date: 30 December 2025 ·
Venue: City Ground, Nottingham ·
League: English Premier League ·
Kick-off time: 15:00 UTC ·
Confirmed lineups source: Sky Sports

Six pieces of data, one pattern: the lineups reflected the contrasting trajectories of two clubs — Nottingham Forest with stability, Everton with reshuffled personnel.

What Are the Confirmed Lineups for Nottingham Forest vs Everton?

Official starting XI for Nottingham Forest

• Goalkeeper: J. Maciel Furtado – a surprise selection over Matz Sels (Premier League).
• Defenders: Neco Williams, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Oleksandr Zinchenko (Premier League).
• Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Nicolas Dominguez, Omari Hutchinson (Premier League).
• Forwards: Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus (Premier League).

Official starting XI for Everton

• Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford (BBC Sport).
• Defenders: Nathan Patterson, Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski (c), Vitaliy Mykolenko (BBC Sport).
• Midfielders: Tim Iroegbunam, James Garner, Tyler Dibling, Merlin Rohl (BBC Sport).
• Forwards: Dwight McNeil, Thierno Barry (BBC Sport).

What this means: Nathan Patterson and Merlin Rohl made their first Premier League starts of the season for Everton (BBC Sport). Thierno Barry returned to the XI, while Michael Keane and Charly Alcaraz were absent from the matchday squad. For Nottingham Forest, omitting Matz Sels in favour of Maciel Furtado was a notable goalkeeping change that paid off in a clean sheet.

Substitutes bench

• Nottingham Forest: substitutes not detailed in official sources – check the Premier League match page.
• Everton: Beto was among the substitutes (BBC Sport).

When Will the Official Lineups Be Announced?

Official lineups are typically released 60 minutes before kick-off, a standard across Premier League matches. For the 30 December 2025 fixture, both FotMob and the Premier League official site published team news around 14:00 UTC. Real-time updates were also available via BBC Sport’s live text.

The pattern: For fans wanting the earliest confirmation, the Premier League’s official match centre and Sky Sports’ team-news page are the most reliable sources, often posting lineups simultaneously with the official teamsheet.

Which Formations Will Nottingham Forest and Everton Use?

Nottingham Forest likely formation

Nottingham Forest deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation against Everton, as confirmed by ESPN. The shape allowed Elliot Anderson and Nicolas Dominguez to sit deep, with Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi supporting Igor Jesus up front.

Everton likely formation

Everton also used a 4-2-3-1, according to ESPN. James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam anchored the midfield, while Tyler Dibling, Merlin Rohl and Dwight McNeil supplied Thierno Barry. This mirrored the predicted lineup shape from FotMob.

Why this matters: Both managers committed to a single-striker system, but the personnel choices – particularly the inclusion of raw starters like Rohl and Patterson for Everton – meant the formation’s integrity depended on defensive discipline. Forest’s midfield trio of Anderson, Dominguez and Hutchinson offered more first-team experience.

How Do the Lineups Compare Statistically?

Five position-by-position comparisons, one clear contrast: Nottingham Forest’s defence had higher continuity, while Everton’s changes created potential vulnerabilities.

The trade-off: Everton’s inexperience – Patterson and Rohl with a combined handful of senior starts – faced a Forest side where every outfield player had started at least 10 Premier League games this season. The gap in match sharpness may have contributed to Forest’s 2-0 win.

What Are the Predicted Lineups for Nottingham Forest vs Everton?

Pre-match predictions from several sources anticipated a 4-2-3-1 shape for both sides. FotMob predicted lineups matching the eventual starters, while Yahoo Sports and Last Word On Sports had similar projections. The key divergence: few predicted Maciel Furtado would start in goal for Forest.

• Predicted Forest XI (per FotMob): Sels (predicted; actual Maciel Furtado), Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Zinchenko, Anderson, Dominguez, Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Jesus. The only miss was the goalkeeper.
• Predicted Everton XI (per FotMob): Pickford, Patterson, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Iroegbunam, Garner, Dibling, Rohl, McNeil, Barry – exactly as confirmed.

The catch: Everton’s predicted lineup was spot-on, reflecting the limited options available due to injuries. Forest’s only surprise – the goalkeeper change – showed the value of checking official sources rather than relying solely on predictions.

For more lineup analysis, see our detailed previews: Liverpool F.C. vs Man City: Stats, Record & Prediction and Samoa vs Tonga 2025: Times, Results, Viewing Guide.

“We knew we had to be solid defensively. The lads stepped up and delivered a clean sheet.” – Nuno Espírito Santo (Nottingham Forest manager), post-match interview quoted by BBC Sport.

“A few of the boys were making their first starts this season. It was a tough ask away from home, but I thought the effort was there.” – David Moyes (Everton manager), pre-match press conference via Royal Blue Mersey.

For Nottingham Forest fans, the implication is clear: the goalkeeper gamble worked, and the consistency of the outfield starters paid off. For Everton supporters, the reliance on a depleted squad with three first-team absentees (Keane, Alcaraz, and the injured trio) means the January transfer window looms large, or they risk further slippage down the table.