Everton have seen the bulk of the post-match headlines dominated by three key moments.
And at the heart of them all was Ashley Young.
The first saw the former Manchester United man bundle Gio Reyna over in the box, with protests swiftly waved away. Then as Callum Hudson-Odoi sought to fire a first-time ball across the box, Young’s arm deflected it out for a corner. Again, though, no penalty was given.
Finally, and perhaps most contentiously, saw the full-back caught out by that same winger, and as he scrambled to get back he seemed to tackle through the back of the former Chelsea man.
And yet, for the third time, he was saved by the referees inaction.
Ashley Young responds to VAR controversy
When called for media duty immediately after a match laced with controversy, he likely knew what all the questions would be regarding.
However, the cute and cheeky way in which he responded to them showcased his lack of interest in being drawn into the debate, instead insisting that the referee had made three correct calls.
That was yesterday, and he is seemingly not finished winding up the Nottingham Forest fans, as he has just published a fresh X post that should provoke even more frustration.
Accompanied by the caption ‘Old Skool Tunes For Today’ alongside two winking faces, he posted a picture of Justin Timberlake’s 2002 song ‘Cry Me A River’ in response to the mass outcry after Everton’s win.
A rather appropriate way to deal with such an unrelenting stream of unhappy opposition fans.
Ashley Young making himself an Everton fan favourite
Although many have rushed to lambast Young this season for his struggles at full-back, this latest comment, following his cheeky post-match assessment of the controversy, will certainly put him back in favour with the fans.
And that’s without mentioning his admirable performance on the pitch too, where he largely kept Hudson-Odoi silent down his flank.
The 38-year-old has been well-used throughout this season, deputising in a number of roles for Sean Dyche.
However, his positional inadequacies and lack of athleticism have often failed him against pacey tricksters in the Premier League.
But not yesterday, despite perhaps being left wanting for the penalty shouts in question.
Other than that, he made three tackles, one interception and one clearance, and was not dribbled past once either. Adding to that his five successful ground duels out of the seven he competed in, and it was a rather complete performance from the veteran, via Sofascore.
His post-match antics have only aided in the rebuilding of his reputation on Merseyside.