Everton didn’t just beat Nottingham Forest — they overwhelmed them. A 3–0 scoreline can sometimes flatter, but this didn’t. From the first whistle to the last, David Moyes’ side played with the sort of clarity, control and conviction that has become the defining feature of his second spell: organised without being timid, aggressive without losing discipline, and purposeful in possession.
If this was meant to be Sean Dyche’s return to Goodison as a man with a point to prove, it ended as a brutal reminder of football’s simplest truth: narrative only survives when performance protects it.
Forest’s creativity problem — and the Dyche worry
The biggest concern for Forest wasn’t conceding three — it was what they offered in response. There was a worrying lack of invention and incision, a familiar Dyche-era symptom: long phases without meaningful threat, few moments of combination play, and a reliance on territory rather than ideas.
Dyche has often argued throughout his career that he never had the right players to play expansively. That defence is becoming harder to lean on at Forest. The squad has athleticism, technical quality and enough attacking profiles to create more than they showed here — yet the performance felt restrained, predictable, and ultimately easy for Everton to manage once they got their noses in front.
That will not sit comfortably with Evangelos Marinakis for long. Forest’s ownership has never been sentimental about momentum turning into mediocrity, and reverses of this nature — heavy defeats with minimal attacking identity — tend to raise louder internal questions than narrow losses ever do.
Everton’s pattern under Moyes: structure, then freedom
Everton’s victory was built on a platform Moyes has obsessed over since returning: defensive discipline and a clean-sheet mentality. But the difference now is what happens after that base is established. Everton are no longer a side that simply holds shape and hopes. They move the ball with more purpose, carry it through midfield, and commit runners beyond the ball.
That blend — security with ambition — is what separated these teams.
Forest struggled to play through Everton’s lines; Everton repeatedly found ways to play around and beyond Forest’s pressure. Moyes’ Everton looked like a side with a plan and the confidence to execute it.
The Moyes effect: same players, different Everton
The most compelling part of this current Everton story is how much Everton improved last season following the departure of Dyche. That wave continued with a strong window and strong results both home and away. Moyes has elevated players who were already in, added quality in the summer, producing a team that looks sharper in its decision-making, braver in possession, and more coherent in its attacking play.
That isn’t simply “new manager bounce.” It’s coaching.
Where Everton once looked like they were playing with caution chained to their ankles, they now look like they understand when to control a game and when to accelerate it. The distances between the lines are better. The press triggers are clearer. The ball circulation has more intent. And perhaps most importantly, the players look like they believe they’re allowed to play.
A win that speaks to a season — not a single afternoon
This result fits a wider theme of Everton’s season under Moyes: progress that is visible, repeatable, and increasingly convincing. The Toffees are not winning by accident; they are winning through a structure that travels, a mentality that survives awkward moments, and a clearer attacking identity than they’ve shown in years.
The best sides don’t just win — they win in ways that can be trusted. This felt like one of those wins.
Forest’s questions grow as Everton’s answers sharpen
Forest will leave Merseyside with uncomfortable questions. Where does the creativity come from? How does this team build sustained pressure without becoming predictable? And how quickly can Dyche evolve his approach when the talent at his disposal suggests there should be more on the ball?
Because if this continues, the pressure won’t come from the stands alone — it will come from the top.
Everton, meanwhile, leave with the opposite: another statement that Moyes has not only stabilised the club, but improved it significantly. He has made Everton harder to beat, yes — but also more capable of beating teams well.
On a day framed by Dyche’s return, it was Moyes who owned the headline.
Everton 3–0 Nottingham Forest.
A scoreline with weight — and a performance that backed it up.
