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Football

Everton 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Gray’s 88th-minute equaliser salvages unlikely draw

Everton and Nottingham Forest played to a draw at home, thanks to a goal by Demarai Gray with two minutes left. Nottingham Forest will feel like it should have won the game.

evertonEverton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s long pass over the top found Gray in stride, and after a brilliant first touch, the Toffees attacker beat Forest keeper Dean Henderson for the equaliser. Everton made a late drive for a winner, but the visitors held on for a well-earned point. The attacker displayed incredible elegance and calm to handle a long ball from Jordan Pickford and put past Dean Henderson to secure Everton a point in the final stages of the game.

Brennan Johnson appeared to have scored the winner for the visitors, condemning Everton to a third defeat in their first three Premier League games for the first time. The Toffees had not had such a terrible start since 1990, but winger Gray’s 88th-minute equaliser meant Frank Lampard’s team avoided that unwelcome piece of history. Johnson finished well in the 81st minute after Jordan Pickford saved Ryan Yates’ close-range shot, but Forest led for barely seven minutes. Anthony Gordon then had an opportunity to win it for the hosts but was unable to lift his shot past goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Everyone can see that Everton are in serious need of a striker.

Frank Lampard might have tried to downplay that in his press conference before this game, but he knows that his team can’t keep playing like this for much longer. The Blues generated a number of chances against Nottingham Forest and, on another day, might have won pretty comfortably if chances had fallen to the correct players or other choices had been taken.

Frank Lampard’s squad had to settle for a point in the end, but the Everton manager will be heartened by his team’s persistence and commitment. Everton started the game quickly and aggressively, with Tom Davies just missing out on a wicked Gray free-kick from the left wing on three minutes. Soon after, Davies threatened again with a low drive from the outside of the box that whistled past Forest goalkeeper Henderson’s far post. Everton were roared on by a raucous Goodison Park crowd, and Henderson was pushed into action twice in rapid succession.

After Gray’s goal, Everton went in quest of a winner, and they almost found it when midfielder Alex Iwobi let fire with a stoppage-time shot, but his attempt soared past the frame of the post.

Lampard is still shaping his team as Everton nears the conclusion of the transfer window, and he will undoubtedly prioritise attacking reinforcements in order to avoid another relegation struggle. Salomon Rondon is the Toffees’ sole available centre forward after Richarlison was transferred to Tottenham Hotspur and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still injured.

Everton manager Frank Lampard told reporters:

“We had a lot of chances through the game – 19 shots – then they take a chance,” he said.

“It’s hard when you have a lot of opportunities and a bit of control to sustain that confidence, but it was good spirit to come back from the position of 1-0 down and get a point. The frustration is that generally, when you have 19 shots at home, you expect to score more than one goal.

“We wanted to win the game and I thought we deserved to win the game but I understand the bigger picture.

“If we’d scored in the first 20 minutes – we had enough chances – I think the game looks completely different. To be more clinical is to find those moments and be ruthless. Some players have that by nature, some not so much.

“When you have a moment when the ball is flying around in the box, you just need someone with that bit of composure in that moment to be clinical.

“To be fair, Demarai showed that for the goal.”

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Kajal S

Kajal S

kajal

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