Nottingham Forest 0-1 Everton: Abdoulaye Doucoure nets late winner for Toffees to dent hosts' Champions League hopes

Abdoulaye Doucoure secured a late winner for Everton at the City Ground to beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 and dent their hopes of Champions League qualification.

The game looked to be reaching a stalemate until Dwight McNeil flooded forward on the counter and found Doucoure on the left, before the midfielder curled home the only goal with seconds to go.

Pressure now ramps up on Forest after suffering back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, with Manchester City also securing an emphatic 5-2 win against Crystal Palace in the early kick-off on Saturday to move within two points of Nuno Espirito Santo's side in third.

It was a performance that lacked their usual pace and power going forward. Chris Wood returned to the line-up after missing three games through injury but Forest were second best for much of the fixture, as Everton went on to secure what they deserved from a positive display.

Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison asked regular questions of Forest and it was the latter who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the second half when his effort whistled just over the bar from close range.

Image: Everton's Armando Broja and Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White (right) battle for the ball

Callum Hudson-Odoi - in the absence of Anthony Elanga, who was limited to a role off the bench due to fitness concerns - was the lone bright spark for his side, testing Jordan Pickford on two occasions, but could only force routine saves out of the England international.

On the same day that fellow Champions League chasers Aston Villa also secured three points against Southampton, the race for the top five is far from over.

Forest's next match against Tottenham, live on Sky Sports, now becomes imperative to achieving the European dream that the Tricky Trees are so desperate for.

Nail-biting finish on the cards?

Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe

The pressure is now well and truly on Forest.

Player ratings: Doucoure at the death! Nottingham Forest: Sels (7), Murillo (7), Williams (7), Anderson (6), Gibbs-White (6), Wood (5), Hudson-Odoi (7), Dominguez (6), Moreno (6), Jota (6); Milenkovic (7).

Subs: Elanga (6), Yates (5).

Everton: Pickford (7), O'Brien (7), Tarkowski (6), Branthwaite (6), Mykolenko (6), Gana (6), Garner (7), Doucoure (9), Harrison (9), Ndiaye (8); Broja (6).

Subs: Beto (7), Alcaraz (6), McNeil (8).

Player of the Match: Abdoulaye Doucoure.

There are not many storylines alive and well in the latter stages of the Premier League - but the race for Champions League football is bubbling away for a tantalising finish.

Back-to-back defeats to Villa and Everton, while those around them continue to rake in the points, have seen both Villa and Manchester City move within touching distance of Nuno's side.

Forest deserve their spot in the top four - but football is a cruel game and you don't always walk away with what you have earned.

With a tough game against a reinvigorated Tottenham side now on the horizon, as well as tough fixtures against Chelsea, Brentford and West Ham also pencilled in, it could be a nail-biting finish to the season for Forest.

It could all hinge on the last day of the season against Enzo Maresca's side.

Story of the match in stats...

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