Weekend results mean Everton must take advantage at Forest today

This weekend’s results so far have given Everton a window of opportunity to move out of the relegation zone, if they can get a positive result at Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

Yesterday, Leeds United, West Ham and Bournemouth were all beaten, results that were of potential benefit to the Blues’, but only if they take advantage.

True Southampton won, which wasn’t a good result for Everton. However, a win today would pull the Toffees’ out of the relegation zone and put them just a point behind their hosts.

Sean Dyche has some huge decisions to make when it comes to the team he will select today to try and secure what would be a massive win, especially up front where he has so little choice.

I have written that I think Dyche has to be creative and perhaps a bit more brave than he has been in terms of his selection and tactics, for the Toffees’ to claim three points.

Continuing to rely on Neal Maupay operating on his own to come up with the desperately needed goals this team needs, is I think, not going to work.

At the very least if he is going to trust Maupay again he must give him support and that means Ellis Simms or Demarai Gray alongside him.

Personally, I would go with Simms and possibly Gray instead. That means changes to Dyche’s preferred three-man midfield and perhaps moving to something like a 4-4-2, something he has so far been reluctant to do.

There are also major decisions to make in defence where Dyche’s starters haven’t been performing well and changes should be considered.

Whoever the manager selects in the various positions, those individual players have to perform this afternoon at the City Ground.

Days like today can sometimes be season-defining. Win today and Everton will give themselves some room to breathe, for now anyway, and take a little bit of pressure off upcoming fixtures.

So now, it is over to the manager and his team to try and achieve this.