Nottingham Forest, Everton battle to entertaining draw

By and Mar 5, 2023, 11:00 AM EST
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Nottingham Forest and Everton played to a gusty, entertaining draw at the City Ground as both teams remain embroiled in the relegation scrap.

FULL MATCH REPLAY

Everton twice took the lead in the first half through a Demarai Gray penalty kick and Abdoulaye Doucoure’s header but Brennan Johnson equalized in each half as Forest dug deep to grab a point in a scrappy encounter.

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Steve Cooper’s side are without a win in four but they remain four points above the relegation zone on 26.

Sean Dyche’s Everton occupy the final relegation spot as they have 22 points.

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A missed opportunity for the Toffees

2-1 up away from home and looking pretty comfortable, Everton switched off and were made to pay. Would they have taken a draw at Forest before this game? Probably. But not after it. Dyche set his team up really well to be dangerous with midfield runners and Doucoure, Iwobi and Onana all had a big impact on the game as Demarai Gray gave them an outlet up top. Forest didn’t really have to push hard for either equalizer as Johnson’s extra quality in attack saw them score twice. Both teams showed why they can stay out of the relegation zone at the end of the season but we also saw plenty of reasons why they might be in it. Dyche is getting Everton back to where they should be but there’s still a lack of confidence as they had this win within their grasp but let it slip.

Stars of the show; Nottingham Forest vs Everton player ratings

Brennan Johnson: Two goals and the second was a beauty. So calm in the box when chances fall his way.

Abdoulaye Doucoure: Driving runs from midfield gave Forest so many problems and popped up to score. His resurgence continues.

Alex Iwobi: His runs from midfield were superb too and he worked so hard defensively. He was everywhere.

Nottingham Forest vs Everton
Graphic via FotMob.com

What’s next?

Nottingham Forest head to Tottenham on Saturday March 11 at 10am ET, while Everton host Brentford at the same time.

How to watch Nottingham Forest vs Everton live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 9 am ET, Sunday
TV channel: USA Network
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com

FULL TIME – Nottingham Forest 2-2 Everton: What a proper relegation battle that was. And you know what, a draw is about right. Everton didn’t make the most of being ahead and Forest worked hard to get back in the game and took their chances.

So close to a third for Forest! Johnson curls one just wide of the far post after some sustained pressure for the hosts. They are flying now.

GOALLLL! Brennan Johnson with a lovely finish for his second of the game and Forest are level with just over 10 minutes to go. Just when Everton looked like they were going to power to a big win. Game on at the City Ground! Nottingham Forest 2-2 Everton.

Everton looking pretty comfortable here and they are in control. Forest have made plenty of changes but they have yet to get going in the second half. Final 15 minutes coming up. Huge for both teams.

A very combative start to the second half. Plenty of challenges flying in and both teams have been involved in multiple scuffles. The stakes are high.

HALF TIME – Nottingham Forest 1-2 Everton: What a wild first half as an open game had plenty of chances at either end but Everton deserve to be ahead. Can Forest fight back in the second half? They have to improve defensively because Everton’s midfield runners are causing chaos.

CHANCE! Big opportunity on the break for Everton as Doucoure does brilliantly down the left and his cross picks out Gray at the back post, but Gibbs-White blocks it.

What a game this has been so far. So open and both teams clearly going all out to grab a win which would be huge in their battles against relegation.

GOALLLLL! Just when it looked like Forest were on top, Everton go back in front. Doucoure heads home from close range after Tarkowski and Keane head a free kick towards goal. Nottingham Forest 1-2 Everton.

GOALLLL! Nottingham Forest are level. Morgan Gibbs-White with a lovely give and go with Chris Wood and his shot was pushed out by Jordan Pickford but the rebound falls straight to Brennan Johnson and he tucks it home. Nottingham Forest 1-1 Everton. What a start at the City Ground!

Forest have finally woken up a little. The home fans are roaring them on but Everton are holding firm defensively. What a start to this game for Sean Dyche’s side. Exactly what they needed.

GOALLLL! Demarai Gray slots home the penalty kick as Keylor Navas goes the wrong way. Gray enjoyed that goal. The former Leicester player gives it some to the Forest fans behind the goal. Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton.

PENALTY KICK! Jonjo Shelvey clips Dwight McNeil in the box and it is a penalty kick to Everton. Shelvey just mistimed his tackle as the ball dropped to McNeil. Huge moment.

Really bright start from Everton here! They are whipping in crosses and Forest can’t clear their lines.

Key storylines & star players

Even when Nottingham Forest win, as they have on six occasions this season, one simple fact remains: they don’t score enough goals (18 on the season, in 24 games). Five of their six wins this season have come by a 1-0 scoreline, while being held scoreless 10 times (0W-1D-9L). Brennan Johnson has scored five Premier League goals this season and Taiwo Awoniyi has bagged four, but no one else has more than two league goals.

One club has scored fewer goals than Forest, though, and that is Everton (17). Speaking of 1-0 wins, three of Everton’s five victories on the season have come by the narrowest of margins, including both triumphs since Sean Dyche replaced Frank Lampard. The Toffees have scored multiple goals in a goal just twice this season and haven’t done so since Oct. 22 (13 games with six goals scored).

Nottingham Forest team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Taiwo Awoniyi (groin), Scott McKenna (thigh), Willy Boly (thigh), Cheikhou Kouyate (thigh), Giulian Biancone (knee), Moussa Niakhate (thigh), Omar Richards (calf), Dean Henderson (thigh)

Everton team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Nathan Patterson (fitness), Andros Townsend (knee), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh), Vitalii Mykolenko (illness)

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Player ratings: USMNT thumps Grenada in Nations League

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:12 AM EDT
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The USMNT kicked off the 2026 World Cup cycle as the Yanks reconvened (the first team, at least) for the first time since the 2022 tournament in Qatar, in a 7-1 victory Grenada on Friday.

[ MORE: Folarin Balogun to USMNT? “It’s something that will come to me” ]

Who stood out (for better and for worse) as the USMNT thumped Grenada?

USMNT player ratings vs Grenada

GK – Matt Turner: 6 – Faced just three shots on target (0.36 xG), made two saves and watched helplessly as a screamer from outside the box hit the back of the net.

RB – Bryan Reynolds: 6.5 – The USMNT focused the vast majority of its attacking play down the left side of the field, making Reynolds the target of a handful of cross-field switches as he played the full 90 minutes.

CB – Mark McKenzie: 7 – Teamed up with his former center back partner from his Philadelphia Union days, McKenzie was tasked with being the far and away the senior figure and leader of the defense on Friday (his 10 caps were four more than the rest of the back-four combined).

CB – Auston Trusty: 7 – A solid performance in his USMNT debut for the 24-year-old Arsenal defender (on loan to Birmingham City, where he has appeared in 37 games in the Championship thus far). With nearly 70 percent of possession on the night, there aren’t many better opportunities to get your feet wet at the senior international level.

LB – Joe Scally: 7.5 – Do not get overly excited about a 20-year-old’s performance against Grenada. I repeat, do not get overly excited about a 20-year-old’s performance against Grenada. That said, does the USMNT have… two left backs?

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DM – Luca de la Torre: 7 – It would be unwise to assign too much value to a game that finished 7-1 against the no. 173-ranked nation in the world, but one thing is for certain and has been proven on a number of occasions: LdlT is a smooth operator as a ball-playing defensive midfielder, and he showed himself quite capable further up the field, in and around the opposing penalty area, on Friday as well.

CM – Weston McKennie: 8 – Two goals (both off of free kicks) for the newly acquired Leeds midfielder, which would be an incredibly welcome development for a side that hasn’t made enough of its set pieces in recent times.

CM – Gio Reyna: 6.5 – This was the solid, if unspectacular, return that Reyna needed after weeks of off-field controversy surround himself, his family and former (but perhaps future) head coach Gregg Berhalter. There were plenty of fireworks elsewhere in the team on Friday, and Reyna managed to come through the game unscathed.

RW – Brenden Aaronson: 7 – It’s been a tough first season in the Premier League for Aaronson, so his first-half goal will hopefully provide a much-needed boost in confidence (his first goal, for club or country, in any competition, since Aug. 21, his third game for Leeds).

CF – Ricardo Pepi: 8 – Aside from scoring the opening goal, Pepi was active and involved in much of what the USMNT tried to do going forward in the first half. Given how deep Grenada sat defensively to begin the game, the Yanks could have taken the easy way out — staying wide and crossing the ball repeatedly — every time down the field, but there appeared to be a concerted effort to combine through the middle of the field, which meant Pepi had to be sharp and quick with his movement to create space for Reyna, Aaronson and Christian Pulisic. Speaking of building confidence, how about the finish for his second goal…

LW – Christian Pulisic: 8 – Ho hum. Just a one-goal, two-assist performance from Pulisic. As previously discussed, the USMNT found infinite joy down the left side of attack and Pulisic was at the center of most of it (for 64 minutes, at least).

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Premier League table, 2022-23 season

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:10 AM EDT
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If it’s the 2022-23 Premier League table you’re after, you’ve come to the right place.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

After the break for the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League returned with a bang and the start to 2023 has delivered plenty of fun.

Now we are approaching the final few months of the campaign, it is so tight up and down the Premier League table.

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Who’s looking like title contenders and/or favorites?

As we head into the final months of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal and Manchester City are looking head and shoulders above the rest and although Manchester United briefly surged into the picture, they look more likely to cement their spot as the third best team in the Premier League.

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The Gunners will have their hands full for the duration of their title challenge, as Erling Haaland continues to take the Premier League by storm with an almost impossible goal-scoring record.

What about the top four and European places?

Uneven Tottenham are hanging in the top four battle and for the moment have hunted down Newcastle, while Liverpool is back in the Champions League picture after their return to form and Chelsea looks like a top six finish is their ceiling. For now.

Surprising Fulham, Brentford, and Brighton are all hanging around on the periphery with fine campaigns. Can one of them surprise and qualify for Europe?

Who are the candidates for relegation?

Southampton, West Ham, and Bournemouth currently occupy the relegation places but that keeps changing all the time and it is so tight at the bottom of the table.

Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Wolves, Leeds, Everton and Crystal Palace all find themselves within a few points of the bottom three as the race to stay in the Premier League intensifies. This could be the craziest relegation scrap in Premier League history.

Below you will find the latest Premier League table.

Premier League table – March 19

Premier League standings

NBC Sports’ standings and scoreboard


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England vs Ukraine: How to watch live, team news, updates

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:10 AM EDT
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England host Ukraine in a UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier at Wembley with an extremely emotional atmosphere expected in London.

[ LIVE: EURO 2024 qualifying scores – England vs Ukraine ]

As the war rages on across Ukraine following the Russia invasion just over a year ago, the United Kingdom have been one of Ukraine’s key partners in the fight against Russian forces.

The English Football Association have given away close to 1,000 free tickets to Ukrainians who were forced to flee their country and resettle with families in the UK. Over 4,200 Ukraine fans will be in the away end at Wembley amid a sea of blue and yellow and you can expect plenty of mutual respect and support from fans of both countries towards each other. This match is Ukraine’s first of 2023, as they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup after losing to Wales in a playoff last summer.

[ MORE: Full EURO 2024 qualifying schedule, standings ]

England beat Italy 2-1 in Naples on Thursday as Harry Kane became their all-time leading goalscorer with his 54th goal for the Three Lions and they held on after going 2-0 up as Luke Shaw’s red card with 10 minutes to go complicated matters. Gareth Southgate’s young side are developing but will they be able to finally win a major tournament?

They have to qualify for the Euros in Germany next summer first, but a first win away in Italy since 1961 was a great start to this qualifying campaign.

Here’s everything you need for England vs Ukraine.

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How to watch England vs Ukraine live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 12pm ET, Sunday (March 26)
Updates: Via NBCSports.com
Stadium: Wembley Stadium, London
TV: FS1

Key storylines, in-form players

The last time this nations met England ran out 4-0 winners in the quarterfinals of EURO 2020. They will be the heavy favorites in this game but Ukraine should not be underestimate as the No. 26 ranked team in the world have the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mykhailo Mudryk and Vitalii Mykolenko all playing in the Premier League.

England’s forwards ran riot in the first half against Italy with Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka sensational, plus Jude Bellingham’s driving runs from midfield give this Three Lions side an extra dimension. There is more creativity and cutting edge about this England side compared to recent years and it feels like they are ready to win something. There will be a ceremony before this game to honor Harry Kane becoming England’s all-time goalscorer as he passed Wayne Rooney with his goal in Italy on Thursday.

England team news, lineup options

Luke Shaw will be suspended for this game after his red card in Italy, so Kieran Trippier or Ben Chilwell will come in at left back. It is likely Jordan Henderson will come in for Kalvin Phillips in midfield, while Phil Foden could start over Jack Grealish out wide. Reece James and Conor Gallagher could also come into the team as Bellingham limped off towards the end of England’s win against Italy.

Ukraine team news, lineup options

Andriy Yarmolenko (three goals away from equalling Andriy Shevchenko as Ukraine’s all-time leading scorer) has been struggling with a hamstring injury so he may start on the bench, while Bournemouth’s Ilya Zabarnyi and Shakhtar’s Oleksandr Zubkov are both out. Yevhen Konoplyanka and Roman Yaremchuk offer real quality in attack, while Zinchenko is the heartbeat of this Ukraine side.

USMNT kicks off 2026 World Cup cycle with 7-1 win in Grenada

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:10 AM EDT
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The USMNT scored early and often, as they cruised to a 7-1 victory over Grenada in CONCACAF Nations League action in St. George’s on Friday.

[ MORE: Folarin Balogun to USMNT? “It’s something that will come to me” ]

The victory puts the USMNT (7 points) atop Group D with one game left to play, against El Salvador (5 points – 2nd place) on Monday.

The Yanks got on the board in the 4th minute, and it was a sensational cross from Christian Pulisic which found Ricardo Pepi atop the six-yard box. Pepi used the considerable pace on Pulisic’s cross to head the ball down and out of goalkeeper Jason Belfon’s reach.

Brenden Aaronson made it 2-0 in the 21st minute, as the Leeds attacked received the ball atop the 18-yard box, turned into open space and cut inside before firing a right-footed finish hard and low to the near post.

Weston McKennie made it 3-0 just after the half-hour mark, as he smashed an off-balance, left-footed volley home after his initial header on Pulisic’s free kick was blocked. Two minutes after Myles Hippolyte fired a laser past Matt Turner (a minute later McKennie’s first goal), the recently acquired Leeds midfielder struck again to make it 4-1, applying the final touch after Auston Trusty headed the ball down after another free kick from Pulisic.

[ MORE: Three key questions for USMNT in March ]

The USMNT jumped on Grenada just as quickly when the second half began, with Pulisic putting his name on the scoresheet in the 49th minute. Luca de la Torre found Pulisic cutting in from the left wing, and the ball somehow found its way past Belfon for 5-1.

Four minutes later, De la Torre played a slightly trickier through ball to spring Pepi in behind the Grenadine defense, and Pepi made no mistake with his one-on-one chance against Belfon. Pepi, who is currently on loan to Gronigen from Augsburg, waited for the goalkeeper to go down one way and coolly slotted the ball the other way.

Alejandro Zendejas, who recently elected to represent the USMNT internationally, became cap-tied to the USMNT when he came off the bench in the 64th minute. Eight minutes later, the 25-year-old winger got his first senior international goal.

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Start of a new World Cup cycle = a clean slate

For all intents and purposes, the USMNT kicked off the 2026 World Cup cycle on Friday, with the first team reconvening for the first time since the 2022 tournament in Qatar. A new World Cup cycle means brand new opportunities for new players, and a fresh start for those who didn’t get the starts or appearances that they thought they should have.

The net will be cast far and wide as the rest of 2023 sees the USMNT (likely) head to the finals of the Nations League and then the Gold Cup, with a handful of players seemingly coming from out of nowhere to claim consistent call-ups ahead of Copa America 2024 (on U.S. soil once again). There will be even more opportunities than usual for fringe players to make a case, with the Yanks automatically qualifying for the 2026 tournament as hosts.

What’s next?

The USMNT will host El Salvador in a winner-take-all Group D finale on Monday (7:30 pm ET), at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. The group winner will qualify for the finals (four teams) of the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League (June 15-18) as well as the 2023 Gold Cup (June 24-July 16); the group runners-up will also qualify for this summer’s Gold Cup.

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How to watch Grenada vs USMNT live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 8pm ET, Friday (March 24)
Stadium: Kirani James Athletic Stadium, St. George’s
TV in English: TNT
TV/streaming en Español: Universo/Peacock

[ LIVE: CONCACAF Nations League scores – Grenada vs USMNT ]

USMNT squad

Goalkeepers (3): Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough), Matt Turner (Arsenal)

Defenders (8): Sergino Dest (AC Milan), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Tim Ream (Fulham), Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Birmingham City)

Midfielders (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Leeds United), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Alan Sonora (Juarez), Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar)

Forwards (6): Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Daryl Dike (West Bromwich Albion), Ricardo Pepi (Groningen), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Alejandro Zendejas (Club America)

EDIT: Tim Weah (Lille) was originally called up, but exited due to a head injury.

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