It’s been a worrying start for Everton, with Frank Lampard’s side have lost both their opening games so far. They're yet to score a goal too, with ex-Toffee Lucas Digne’s own goal giving them consolation in their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa last time out.

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Everton made two changes from their loss to Aston Villa, with the injured Abdoulaye Doucoure and benched Dwight McNeil replaced by Tom Davies and Salomon Rondon, respectively. New signing Amadou Onana was also on the bench.

EVERTON (3-4-3): Jordan Pickford; Mason Holgate, Conor Coady, James Tarkowski, Nathan Patterson, Tom Davies, Alex Iwobi, Vitalii Mykolenko, Salomon Rondon, Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray.

SUBS: Asmir Begovic, Michael Keane, Allan, Dwight McNeil, Amadou Onana, Dele Alli, Seamus Coleman, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Ruben Vinagre.

Forest secured their first top-flight victory in over 20 years with their 1- 0 win over West Ham at the City Ground, and Steve Cooper’s side, which has been bolstered significantly by new signings since their last game, was looking to build on those three points against an Everton side low on confidence.

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Forest made just the one change, with Steve Cook coming into the side for the injured Moussa Niakhate. Their bench, however, featured four new signings, with Emmanuel Dennis, Remo Freuler, Cheikhou Kouyate, and record signing Morgan Gibbs-White all ready and roared to make their debuts off the bench for the Reds.

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NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-4-1-2): Dean Henderson, Joe Worrall, Steve Cook, Scott McKenna, Neco Williams, Orel Mangala, Lewis O’Brien, Harry Toffolo, Jesse Lingard, Brennan Johnson, Taiwo Awoniyi.

SUBS: Wayne Hennessey, Giulian Biancone, Morgan Gibbs-White, Sam Surridge, Alex Mighten, Cheikhou Kouyate, Ryan Yates, Remo Freuler, Emmanuel Dennis.

This was the first meeting between Everton and Nottingham Forest since January 1999 in the Premier League, with Forest picking up their first win under Ron Atkinson in a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.

Forest has only won eight of their 56 away top-flight matches against Everton (14 percent), with only two coming in the Premier League era, in 1994 and 1999, respectively.

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Everton has lost seven of their last ten home Premier League games against newly promoted clubs, most recently against Watford and Brentford last season. Before this run, they’d won 10 in a row at Goodison Park between April 2016 and November 2018.

Everton has lost both their Premier League games so far this season and hasn’t lost each of their opening three matches in a league campaign since 1990-91.

In a run going back to May 1997, Forest has lost 15 of their last 21 Premier League away games, winning only four. However, one of those victories came at Everton in January 1999.

Forest has faced more shots (42) and has the highest expected goals against tally (4.03) in the Premier League so far this season. Forest was also averaging the fewest passes per game so far this term (291).

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Today Forest looked positive coming forward and engineered good moves down the right through Williams. It's a lively game so far, with half-time fast approaching. Both sides had positive spells, albeit with neither able to create many clear-cut chances. Second-half changes may be what this game needed for an uptick in quality in the final third, and Forest's fans were anticipating the introduction of their four new signings.

Although he's not had much love from the home crowd, ex-Liverpool wing-back Williams was impressive down the right for Forest, having a shot on target and completing key passes, as well as putting in four crosses from open play. He also made three tackles and a clearance, winning possession four times, but the back-and-forth nature of the game so far has also resulted in him losing the ball 12 times.

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Forest's relentless pressing trapped Everton in their own half, with the Toffees unable to get out and the Reds winning possession at any and every available opportunity!

Both sides had copious chances to open the scoring! Everton started the brighter, with Davies twice going close, but since then, Forest has really come back into the game, testing Pickford and the Toffee’s backline on several occasions! It was too close to call at the moment, and only needed one thing to really break this game open: A goal!

There it is!!!! Forest hit the front with less than 10 minutes left, and the away end went crazy!!! Yates popped from 20 yards which Pickford saw late and parried, but Johnson reacted quickest to send the Everton keeper the wrong way and fired the ball into the far corner! 1-0 on 81 minutes, and Forest thought they may well have just notched a second consecutive Premier League victory!

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Everton has kept six clean sheets in their 10 Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, their highest percentage against any opponent they’ve faced 10+ times in the competition. However, the Toffees have lost all of the four games in which they’ve conceded against Forest.

Only two minutes plus injury time left to salvage something from this game. What a ball from Pickford, whose long kick caught out the Forest defense, and whilst it's a sloppy one for the visitors to concede, Gray raced in behind and slotted it beyond Henderson into the corner!!! The hosts equalized, and the home fans celebrated as this game took another wild twist!

⚽️ @22Demarai
🅰️ @JPickford1 pic.twitter.com/JO5p6grSx3

— Everton (@Everton) August 20, 2022

Do you know what is more exciting? I have both Pickford and Gray on my team for the FPL. It felt like I had won the league.

Gray's late equalizer ensured Everton wouldn’t start their season with three back-to-back losses, and the winger was superb throughout. Three of his six shots were on target, and he also crossed 12 times, completing two key passes. He had seven touches in the box, made 15 passes in the final third, and also won possession in Forest's defensive area too. Crucial.

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