Losing 2-1 away to Aston Villa last weekend saw Forest's seven-game unbeaten league run come to an end, and loosened their grip on the Champions League places slightly.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men remain third, but the sides below them all made ground during matchday 31, with Chelsea, Newcastle United and Aston Villa taking maximum points, while Manchester City still lurk menacingly.

Newcastle have a game in hand this coming week and could close the gap to just one point with a win in that, while many still predict Man City to close down the current five-point gap, meaning it is imperative Forest maintain their stunning form up until the end of the campaign.

Forest have an astonishingly strong record against teams currently in the bottom half this season though, taking 40 points from a possible 42 in 14 matches.

Form at the City Ground is also exemplary, with seven wins in their last nine here, drawing the other two, and that is as many as victories as they had managed on home soil in the 24 games prior.

This Forest side will be looking to replicate the achievements of the legendary Brian Clough squad over 40 years ago by returning to the Champions League, but with four clean sheets in a row at home, they have become the first team since that one to manage that feat in the top flight.

Nuno saw his side keep a clean sheet at Goodison Park in the reverse fixture too, during their 2-0 victory, which will give Forest the opportunity to complete a league double over Everton for the first time since the 1994-95 season.

However, recent history will tell the home crowd that may not be as easy as it looks on paper, because Everton have won on three of their last four trips to the City Ground, including last season, when Dwight McNeil netted the only goal, and he is set to be in the visiting squad again here after returning from injury last weekend.

Everton have been notorious at falling short against the big-hitters in the Premier League over a number of years though, with just two wins in 67 matches away to clubs starting the day in the top three.

That does not mean they are incapable of taking points from those hovering around the top though, as Arsenal found out last week in a 1-1 draw at Goodison, meaning six of Everton's last eight Premier League matches have ended level.

Fourteen draws in the league this season is just one shy of Everton's highest-ever tally in a 38-game season, and there are still seven matches remaining, with no club in Europe's top-five leagues this season having drawn more games than the Toffees.

The final seven matches have little riding on them with Everton now 15 points clear of trouble, so the supporters will be glad that they can enjoy their final two months at Goodison stress-free, looking to climb the table to build some momentum ahead of next season.

Forest could serve as the blueprint for their summer decisions, as Nuno's men went from relegation candidates to European challengers in the space of a season thanks to some shrewd signings and solid coaching, something which Moyes is proven at.

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Sels; Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Alex Moreno; Yates, Anderson; Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Jota Silva; Wood

Everton possible starting lineup:

Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Patterson; Harrison, Gueye, Garner, Doucoure, Ndiaye; Beto