Everton 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Toffees respond to Sean Dyche's empassioned midweek rant - as Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil both score from long-range to seal vital win in the relegation scrap

Perhaps it is too early for some to say but the evidence was there in front of you: Everton will not be getting relegated, not after this significant day.

While Nottingham Forest will hiss about penalties that were not awarded and the standard of refereeing in the Premier League – their post-match tweet, claiming bias at Stockley Park, for so many reasons remarkable – they were beaten here for a simple reason.

Everton showed themselves to be the better team: in the game and in the season.

Long range shots, either side of half-time, from Idrissa Gana Gueye and Dwight McNeil were enough to win it for Everton and none of the hooting or hollering from Nottingham will make a blind bit of difference. If they had sufficient quality, they would have capitalised. The fact is they don’t.

As such, Sean Dyche is breathing a little easier and Nuno Espirito Santo is anxiously looking over his shoulder, both at the league table and his own job prospects, a run of one win in nine matches sending them slithering towards the trapdoor.

These two sides, of course, have been in conflict with the Premier League all season, both being deducted points and having their grievances over PSR regulations. For 90 minutes, though, all that needed to be put on the backburner. A win was all that mattered.

Goodison can have the feel, from time to time, of a stadium where the angry go to congregate and you could feel that crackle from word go. Each misplaced pass – and there were many – was greeted with an impatient growl, each wasted set piece triggering howls of incredulity.

They would have suffered against a team better than Forest, be in no doubt. The visitors, so obviously short of quality despite the blindfolded trolley dashes they have done through recent transfer windows, had a couple of possibility to cut Everton open but couldn’t capitalise.

So the onus was on Dyche’s side to muster something worthwhile. You always felt a mistake would be the catalyst and so it proved in the 29th minute when Ola Aina, Forest’s left-back, attempted to head clear a cross from Vitalii Mykolenko but succeeded only in picking out Gana Gueye.

Much credit should go to the Senegal midfielder. His strike wasn’t pure but he was quick to spot an opening and his shot from 25 yards arrowed away from Matz Sels, nestling in the bottom corner of the Park End. The goal, his first since November, was greeted with a guttural roar.

The roars from Forest, by contrast, were all to do with frustration. There were two incidents – in the 24th minute, the other in the 44th minute – that could have been given as penalties. Ashley Young was central both, seeming to kick Nicolas Dominguez for the first and handling for the second.

Neither situation, though, prompted VAR Stuart Attwell to take action. You will almost certainly have seen similar incidents at other grounds this season that were punished but, again, this is where we are with the inconsistent and chaotic interpretation of the rules.

To exacerbate Forest’s woe, Chris Wood thought he was about equalise in the 40th minute but, somehow, Jordan Pickford did an impersonation of Superman, flying across his goal to make a point blank save. He certainly enjoyed it, jumping up and hollering his delight to the Gwladys Street.

What made Everton vulnerable is the fact that they simply don’t score enough goals. This was their 16th fixture of 2024 and, since the turn of the year, they have only scored 11 times, managing only two or more once. Forest, for that reason, were always in with a chance.

Really, they should have been level on the hour. James Tarkowski would never be accused of lacking confidence but, from time to time, that belief is not always backed up with ability and the hash he made of a headed clearance enabled Morgan Gibbs-White a free run through.

Gibbs-White, however, lacked composure and scuffed a glorious opportunity wide, pulling his shirt over his mouth and wishing he could go back and do it all again. Nuno looked on glumly, hands stuffed in his pockets. This was a big moment and the failure to capitalise would have consequences.

In the 76th minute, Dwight McNeil moved forward, not under any great pressure, and exchanged passes with James Garner then Abdoulaye Doucoure. No tackles were forthcoming so the winger took his chance, sweeping a 25-yard shot in off the post.

From here, Everton were never going to be caught. Forest had plenty of the ball but, befitting everything that had gone before, they did nothing with it. They still have much work to do to remain in the top flight. Everton, gradually, are having their fears assuaged.