Everton striker Neal Maupay has sparked outrage among the Toffees’ fanbase following a comment made about the club on social media.
Sean Dyche’s side suffered a 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, their seventh defeat of the Premier League season, and Maupay, who is on loan at Marseille, has since aimed a swipe at his parent club.
The 28-year-old, who is still contracted to Everton, wrote on X: “Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile.”
Maupay signed for Everton from Brighton in 2022 for an undisclosed fee but endured a torrid time at Goodison Park, scoring just one goal in the top flight across his 29 appearances in blue.
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Highlights from the Premier League match between Everton and Nottingham Forest
After spending last season on loan at his former club Brentford, Maupay went in search of another exit ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and was eventually signed by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, joining him at Marseille in Ligue 1.
Having secured the move to France, Maupay sparked controversy yet again by posting a scene on social media from the film Shawshank Redemption, famous for depicting the main character’s long fight for freedom.
Sky Sports News has contacted Everton for a comment on the situation involving their striker.
Analysis: Forest are who Everton want to be
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
When Everton and Nottingham Forest met in April of this year, there were just two points separating the sides.
This was once a relegation six-pointer in the Premier League, now one team is streets clear of the other. In fact, Nottingham Forest have become the team Everton want to be – and have wanted to be for some time now.
Forest are clinical in both boxes and have the squad depth to produce what Nuno Espirito Santo wants from his team.
Orel Mangala is felled by Elliot Anderson in Everton’s defeat to Nottingham Forest
The difference between the two was best summed up in the 74th minute of this game, when Nuno took off Chris Wood and Morgan Gibbs-White knowing full well the result was sealed in the same minute when Beto was brought on by Dyche as Everton tested their third different combination up front.
With blanks in seven out of their last nine matches, Dyche is still working out his formula on how to get results.
There is also a difference between the backing upstairs. Everton have seen years of ownership turmoil, recently ended by the Friedkin Group’s takeover, while Forest finally have stability under Evangelos Marinakis. The difference between the two clubs could not be greater.
