James Garner made an impactful return against his former club Nottingham Forest, playing a crucial role in Everton’s 2-0 victory.
The midfielder, who spent a year and a half on loan at the City Ground and was instrumental in their promotion to the Premier League, showed no loyalty as he scored one goal and assisted Thierno Barry’s second after halftime in a standout performance.
This win marks a much-needed turnaround for David Moyes’ team after a three-match winless streak, as they bested Forest for the second time in just over three weeks.
Meanwhile, the result only adds to the woes of former Everton manager Sean Dyche, as his team struggles to escape the relegation zone.
Things seemed to be looking up for Forest after a 3-0 win against Tottenham in mid-December, but a run of three consecutive losses has left them at 17th place, only four points clear of West Ham, whom they will face next week.
Everton had not found the net since their earlier fixture against Forest this month, but they attacked quickly, with James Tarkowski heading directly at John Victor within the first 10 minutes.
After absorbing some early pressure from the home side, Everton took the lead in the 19th minute.
Dwight McNeil, reportedly on Dyche’s January shopping list, slipped a pass to Garner, who delivered a precise first-time finish into the bottom corner.
Garner, a former player for Manchester United, made 69 appearances for Forest between January 2022 and May 2023 and chose not to celebrate his goal.
Despite having plenty of possession, Forest struggled to create clear chances, with Callum Hudson-Odoi failing to convert a chance at the far post from a Neco Williams cross.
Just before halftime, Jordan Pickford had to dive to prevent Oleksandr Zinchenko’s free-kick from crossing the line.
While Dyche’s team came out strong in the second half, they continued to lack clear-cut chances, with Igor Jesus narrowly missing the target after Everton failed to clear their lines.
Everton eventually regained momentum and came close to doubling their lead in the 74th minute.
Garner sent another corner into the box, which was met by Tarkowski, but the center-back’s header went just wide.
Determined to secure the victory, Garner further impacted the match in the 79th minute.
He skillfully maneuvered past Murillo and delivered a precise pass to Barry, who finished expertly for his second goal of the season, the first of which was also against Forest.
Forest pressed forward in search of a comeback, with Williams testing Pickford and Dilane Bakwa narrowly missing with an effort just past the far post.
However, with only Wolves scoring fewer goals than Forest in the Premier League this season, they were once again unable to find the back of the net.