Everton 0-2 Nottingham Forest: Nuno Espirito Santo’s side move up to SECOND with fifth Premier League win in a row courtesy of goals from Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest are up to the giddy heights of second and on this evidence it’s no fluke.

They fully deserved their fifth consecutive victory earned through goals in each half from Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White – making light of an enforced late reshuffle due to Murillo’s injury in the warm-up.

Everton were unbeaten at home since August but couldn’t lay a glove on their well-drilled visitors whose goalkeeper Matz Sels tops the clean sheets rankings this season.

Forest have collected 20 of their 37 points on the road and their joyous fans were singing “Win-away, Win-away” long before the final whistle.

Everton, whose previous three games saw them hold Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, didn’t register an effort on target until the closing minutes and they lie only three points above the relegation zone.

At Forest, ambitions are grander, with 33-year-old Wood in the form of his life.

After 15 minutes, he flicked on a header to Anthony Elanga, received a header back and showed finesse to lift his finish over an oncoming Jordan Pickford for his 11th league goal of the campaign.

Nobody has taken the lead more times than Forest which suits their counter-attacking style. And Everton boss Sean Dyche wouldn’t have been surprised by Wood’s impact having once managed him at Burnley.

Captain Gibbs-White capped his man-of-the-match display by scoring Forest’s second goal on the hour after Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure lapsed twice .

The gangly midfielder’s loose pass in his own half allowed Elanga to feed Wood in the box. The striker set up Gibbs-White and when Doucoure raced back eager to make amends, the Forest skipper chopped inside him and fired past Pickford.

It was to Nuno’s credit that having to rip up his original plan of using a back-three didn’t become an issue.

When a dejected Murillo departed for the dressing-room shortly before kick off, winger Ramon Sosa came in for the Brazilian centre-half allowing Gibbs-White to play in the middle of the park which he then dominated with his athleticism.

‘We had made our plans for the game with Murillo but he felt his abductor was a bit stiff in the warm-up and he couldn’t kick the ball properly,’ revealed Nuno.

‘It was a quick turnaround but we still had to be aggressive on the pitch. I am immensely proud and happy with the way we played. Our first goal was beautiful.’

Even so, the Portuguese manager refuses to indulge in European talk even if he’s happy for the Forest fans to dream.

‘We are enjoying it because they are enjoying it. They gave energy to the team and I feel the bond is growing,’ he added.

‘But we can not change our approach – we have to realise we haven’t achieved anything yet. This is a tough league.’

After green shoots of recovery, this was a step back for Everton with manager Dyche unhappy his players hadn’t been more proactive.

‘They did the opposite of what we told them in the first half. It is frustrating for a manager, trust me,’ he said.

‘We played slowly, rolled it around at the back, when we wanted to play quickly with tempo, stretching their defence.

‘Forest did what they have done to a lot of teams this season but the second goal was also farcical from us. We have to rebuild again. It is my job and my staff’s job to break the cycle.’

Everton’s fans were full of festive jeer as their team struggled. An out-of-sorts Jack Harrison was withdrawn by Dyche at half-time after getting stick from grumpy supporters but replacement Jesper Lindstrom wasn’t much of an upgrade.

Referee Tony Harrington also became a target after booking four Everton players and not punishing Forest when Chelsea loanee Armando Broja, making his first Everton start, lay on the floor looking pained.

Calvert-Lewin helped Everton improve when he came on for the final quarter but by then it was too late.

Pickford was relieved Ola Aina flashed a shot into the side-netting otherwise the scoreline would have looked even more one-sided.

Dyche could do with reinforcements in the transfer window but isn’t sure whether PSR will allow new owner Dan Friedkin to spend.

‘I don’t know about the January situation. We will have rules and regulations, ’ he said. ‘But we have players in-house I think can answer our (scoring) issues.’