Brennan Johnson’s two equalisers enabled Nottingham Forest to extend their unbeaten home record to nine matches in the Premier League and deny Everton the first away win since October that would have lifted them out of the bottom three.
The Nottingham-born striker, now with nine goals this season, almost curled in a late winner on a day when Forest stayed four points above the relegation zone. “He only wants to get better,” Steve Cooper, his manager, said. “He’s on an upward curve and he’s performing really well. He’s getting the numbers. I don’t mind saying positive things about Bren because he’s always working hard and looking to improve. He loves the club, grew up round the corner so it’s great to see him banging two in today.”
Sean Dyche, back at his old stomping ground, was also content with a point after his well-organised side, leading through goals from Demarai Gray’s penalty and Abdoulaye Doucouré, succumbed to Forest’s impassioned second-half response in what was a feisty, niggly and exciting game. Everton have seven points from Dyche’s first six games.
Having both fallen to four-goal defeats last time out, this was a positive outcome for both sides. For the division’s lowest-scoring teams, this game was not scheduled to turn into the goal glut that the opening half-hour promised, and yet both will believe they have the momentum to retain their status in the top flight.
Perhaps Dyche, a former Forest youth-team player, resident of this parish and a regular attender at the City Ground during his time between jobs, felt more at home; certainly Forest were unduly accommodating hosts in the first half when they defended poorly. This was the first time this season Everton had scored twice in a first half.
Gray, replacing Neal Maupay as Everton’s lone striker in front of a five-man midfield, converted the early penalty conceded by Jonjo Shelvey’s trip on Dwight McNeill for his sixth goal of the season, sidefooting his spot-kick to the right as Keylor Navas dived the other way. Without the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dyche may have fielded a lineup without a centre-forward before. “I honestly can’t remember,” the Everton manager said. “I’m not bothered whether he’s a recognised striker or not, I thought Demarai did really well. Technically he did very well, and he’s stronger than you think.”
Forest, undefeated at the City Ground in the Premier League since September, proceeded to dominate territorially. Their pressure paid off when Morgan Gibbs-White intelligently dropped off the front into midfield, turned to play a one-two with Chris Wood and cracked in a 20-yard shot that Jordan Pickford parried for Johnson to turn in from close range.
Everton, however, appear more organised under Dyche and, when they did break, they troubled Forest’s defence. Pickford’s long free-kick – much disputed after Gibbs-White claimed he had been fouled in the centre circle before Gray – was headed on by James Tarkowski for Michael Keane to nod over Forest’s advancing backline. Timing his run in behind perfectly was Doucouré to nudge home a header for his first goal in 18 months.
Navas had to tip over McNeil’s long-range blast and Gray should have done better, when arriving late at the back post as Dyche had demanded pre-match, than allow his shot to be blocked but, after the interval, Forest were in the ascendancy, though
their passion looked in danger of overspilling for a bit as John Brooks, the referee, appeared in danger of losing control. Both managers had their gripes – Dyche that Séamus Coleman was fouled in the area by Jack Colback, Cooper that Brooks blew for a Forest free-kick when they were entering the final third with a man over – but it was more the referee’s lack of authority than any particular decision that was concerning.
There were five bookings in six minutes as Gibbs-White and McNeil, then Renan Lodi and Gray, engaged in shoving matches. Tarkowski was also cautioned as he went flying dangerously into a tackle on Lodi. “I was disappointed with the ref,” Cooper said. “He had too much impact on the game.”
Everton looked set for the win that would have lifted them above Leeds and West Ham when Cooper went for broke. While Everton delayed their changes, Forest’s triple substitution 20 minutes from time gave them renewed energy and allowed Gibbs-White to play in his favoured No 10 role behind three attackers.
Doucouré gave the ball away cheaply on a counterattack and Johnson ran at the Everton defence before slipping the ball wide to the substitute Ryan Yates. His squared return allowed Forest’s top scorer to open up his body and fire a left-footed shot into the top corner.
