**Everton carried on their impressive form by downing Nottingham Forest.**
David Moyes’ side took an early lead when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cross from the lefthand side was turned by Nikola Milenkovic into his own net.
They doubled that advantage into first-half added time as Thierno Barry scored his first goal for the club, rolling home an Iliman Ndiaye lay-off.
Dewsbury-Hall wrapped up matters by adding a third during the closing stages, striking a diagonal finish beyond Mats Sels at his near post.
The Blues moved up to fifth in the Premier League table, into the Europa League qualification spot. after racking up a fourth win in the last five games.
_Here were the key talking points from Hill Dickinson Stadium:_
Blues are a world away from Dyche
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Everton’s first meeting with Sean Dyche since his unceremonious January sacking would invariably serve as a barometer of how far they have come.
The former defender had steered the club away from relegation twice in trying circumstances, with point deductions and a threat of administration looming.
But what credit Dyche had in the bank was swiftly eroded by backsliding towards the Premier League’s drop zone in the weeks prior to his departure.
Sympathetic voices claimed the decision to part ways, hours before an FA Cup third round tie with Peterborough, had opened the door to relegation.
Cynics, similarly, argued that David Moyes’ return after a 12-year absence would not instigate a return to the prosperity that eluded his predecessor.
Almost 11 months later, however, it’s the Champions League portal rather than the Championship which the Blues are now knocking on under the Scot.
Dyche pitched up at Hill Dickinson Stadium intent on offering a reminder of what had made him such an appealing prospect back in January 2023.
Instead, his Nottingham Forest side found themselves decidedly second best to their hosts, who are a world away from the infamous ‘Dycheball’ days.
Chants of ‘The School of Science is on its way back’ in the second half was another tangible sign of how far life on Merseyside has come since he left.
Barry finally gets his reward
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The South Stand’s reaction to Everton’s second goal of this game said it all.
An opening half largely dominated by their team had strayed into potentially nervy territory as the visitors enjoyed a belated spell of attacking ascendancy.
Yet the scenes which greeted Thierno Barry’s first ever goal in a royal blue shirt were more reminiscent of a late winner than a pre-interval consolidation.
Seeing the French forward ending a 17-game drought was a moment of catharsis for match-going supporters as much as the player himself.
These have been trying times for Barry, whose tireless work ethic has seen most fans shun the dissenting voices that grew as he failed to find the target.
His commitment even came at a cost as he needed to be patched up after Nikola Milenkovic aggravated a shoulder injury sustained against Fulham.
When the moment of truth arrived, teed up expertly by Iliman Ndiaye, Barry rose to the occasion and delivered a moment several months in the waiting.
It was one which his efforts deserved and hopefully will open the floodgates.
Moyes’ latest tweak is his best
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Since rejoining Everton, Moyes has needed to make tactical tweaks.
Some were borne of necessity, such as Jake O’Brien continuing to plug the right-back void against the manager who [previously left him out in the cold](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/everton-fc/56513-jake-obrien-opens-up-on-early-everton-struggles-sean-dyche-david-moyes/).
Others have been more practical and, in some supporters’ eyes, glaring.
Barry taking the centre forward mantle from a misfiring Beto was an early example but the reintegration of Charly Alcaraz may be Moyes’ finest so far.
The Argentine again occupied an advanced playmaker role, stepping into Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s role while the former Chelsea man dropped back.
It is proving a masterstroke with Dewsbury-Hall’s deeper position alongside James Garner allowing him to become Everton’s man of the moment.
For whatever reason, the Everton manager previously resisted temptation to tinker with his established attacking midfield order despite its mixed success.
Now he has a tried and tested winning formula, the possibilities are endless.