Brennan Johnson double earns Nottingham Forest battling draw against Everton

Steve Cooper's side come back twice in Premier League survival duel with Sean Dyche's men

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Everton at The City Ground in Nottingham, England, Sunday, March 5, 2023. (AP Photo / Rui Vieira)

Brennan Johnson scores Nottingham Forest's second goal. Getty

Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton scores their second goal. Getty

Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton scores their second goal. Getty

Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton celebrates after scoring the second goal. Getty

Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton celebrates after scoring the second goal. Getty

Brennan Johnson scores Nottingham Forest's first goal past Everton's Jordan Pickford. Reuters

Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson scores their first goal past Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. AFP

Brennan Johnson of Nottingham Forest celebrates after scoring their first goal. Getty

Everton's Demarai Gray scores their first goal from the penalty spot. PA

Everton's Demarai Gray celebrates scoring their opener with Dwight McNeil. Reuters

Nottingham Forest's Jonjo Shelvey fouls Everton's Dwight McNeil to concede a penalty. Reuters

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Reuters

Nottingham Forest's Jonjo Shelvey brings down Everton's Dwight McNeil to give away a penalty. Reuters

Everton's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, punches the ball clear under pressure from Nottingham Forest's Joe Worrall. AP

Felipe of Nottingham Forest beats Demarai Gray of Everton to a header. Getty

Everton's Demarai Gray rlies injured. Reuters

Everton manager Sean Dyche react. Getty

Everton's Jordan Pickford saves from Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood. Reuters

Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier clashes with Everton's Demarai Gray. AFP

Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White clashes with Everton's Dwight McNeil. Reuters

Nottingham Forest's Remo Freuler in action with Everton's Alex Iwobi. Reuters

A double from Brennan Johnson earned a crucial point for Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw against Everton in the scrap for Premier League survival.

A 10th-minute Demarai Gray penalty put Sean Dyche's visitors ahead at the City Ground on Sunday before Johnson grabbed an equaliser on 19 minutes.

But Everton got their noses back in front after 29 minutes through a header from Abdoulaye Doucoure

Then Johnson came to Forest's rescue when he struck a sweetly placed shot into the net in the 77th minute.

Steve Cooper's side are undefeated in their last nine home games in the Premier League. The draw means they are in 14th place on 26 points and maintain their four-point cushion above the relegation places.

Everton are third bottom from bottom on 22 points, below Leeds on goal difference.

Goodison Park manager Dyche has managed just one victory in five games since kicking off his tenure with a shock victory against league leaders Arsenal.

Everton were thumped 4-0 by Arsenal on Wednesday and are in danger of being relegated from the top flight for the first time since 1954.

Arsenal 4 Everton 0 - player ratings

ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 9, A clean sheet for Ramsdale who did well to keep the score level following two good chances for Maupay. Made an excellent save in the last minute of the game. Getty Images

Ben White - 7. A solid night on the right side of defence. Stuck to his task well but didn't do much going forward. AP Photo

William Saliba - 8. Hardly put a foot wrong all through the game. Did well against the threat of Maupay. Getty Images

Gabriel Magalhaes - 8. Dominant in the air and made a last-ditch block on Maupay in the 28th minute. Combined well with Saliba to limit the Toffees. Getty Images

Oleksandr Zinchenko - 8. A little loose in possession but showed excellent vision to pick out Saka in the box for the Gunners’ first goal. Inverted well to help the home side outnumber the Toffees in midfield. Getty Images

Jorginho - 7. Almost cost Arsenal a goal when he was caught in possession in the fifth minute. His diagonal passing was crucial against Everton’s low-block defence. Reuters

Granit Xhaka - 6. Found himself in dangerous positions a number of times but lacked the creative ability to make things happen. Tracked back well to support the defence. Reuters

Martin Odegaard - 8. Far from his creative best in the first half but still played a crucial role in the Gunners’ second goal. Scored Arsenal’s third after excellent work from Trossard. Getty Images

Gabriel Martinelli - 9. Did well to stay onside and find space to score the Gunners’ second goal. Scored the home side’s fourth after being picked out by Nketiah. EPA

Bukayo Saka - 9. Expertly turned and hit the ball high into the net with his weaker right foot when he was picked out in the box by Zinchenko. Did well to poke the ball off Gueye’s feet and into the path of Martinelli for Arsenal’s second goal. EPA

Leandro Trossard - 8. Once again chosen up front in place of Nketiah, Trossard led the line well and dropped into spaces behind the attack to link up play. Showed excellent vision to set up Odegaard for the third. AFP

SUBS: Thomas Partey (Jorginho, 46') - 7. Came on in place of Jorginho at half time and kept things ticking in the centre of the pitch. Helped the Gunners dominate play. PA

Eddie Nketiah (Trossard, 73') - N/A. Should have scored when he was played through on goal by Odegaard. Smartly set-up Martinelli for the Gunners’ fourth. Reuters

Fabio Viera (Xhaka, 73') - N/A. Impressed after coming on with his creative play. Could have ended the game with an assist or two. Getty Images

Emile Smith Rowe (Saka, 82') - N/A. Almost scored his first goal since his return from injury two minutes after coming on. EPA

Kieran Tierney (Zinchenko, 82') - N/A. Stuck to his defensive task well in the closing stages. Getty Images

EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford - 5. Could do very little about Saka’s thunderous opener or Martinelli’s second in the first half. Did well to deny Nketiah, but again couldn't have done anything about the Gunners’ other two goals. AP Photo

Seamus Coleman - 6. Played his part in helping to limit the home side’s advances on the left flank. Hooked off for the more energetic Godfrey early in the second half. PA

Micheal Keane - 5. Struggled to keep track of Arsenal’s tricky attackers. Was nowhere near Odegaard for the Gunners’ third. PA

James Tarkowski - 5. Got dragged out of possession by Martinelli in the build up to Arsenal’s opener. Picked up a yellow card for a foul on Odegaard in the 50th minute, and lost his man for the fourth goal. PA

Vitaliy Mykolenko - 6. Kept Saka quiet for a lot of the first half and overlapped to good effect, but crucially lost Saka for the Gunners’ opening the scoring. AFP

Idrissa Gueye - 4. Got his pocket picked by Saka in the build-up to the Gunners’ second goal. Hooked off at half time for Mason Holgate. AFP

Amadou Onana - 5. Struggled to assert himself as much as he did when both teams met at Goodison Park less than a month ago. Looked lost in the second half. Reuters

Abdoulaye Doucoure - 4. Looked far from his best when in possession. Could have done better to support the defence in the second half. Reuters

Alex Iwobi - 5. Instrumental in helping the Toffees move the ball upfield early in the game. Struggled to make an impact in the second half as the Gunners dominated play. AP Photo

Dwight McNeil - 6. Did well to set Maupay up in the eighth minute. Had a good shot saved by Ramsdale in the 62nd minute. Reuters

Neal Maupay - 6. Had two early chances to give Everton the lead but failed to convert either. Struggled to get involved in the second half. Getty Images

SUBS: Mason Holgate (Gueye, 46') - 5. Brought on to provide added security for the defence but got overrun by the Gunners’ impressive midfield. Reuters

Demarai Gray (Maupay, 61') - 5. Worked hard to help out in defence but struggled to make any impact in attack. Getty Images

Ben Godfrey (Coleman, 61') - 4. Lucky to have escaped a red card when he carelessly lifted his studs while trying to pry the ball from Trossard. Got caught out of position for the Gunners’ fourth goal. Getty Images

Tom Davies (Doucoure, 79') - N/A. Almost grabbed a consolation goal for the Toffees with the last kick of the match. Reuters

They began the match at the City Ground as the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season and are still without injured England striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

But they took the lead after 10 minutes when Jonjo Shelvey brought down Dwight McNeil to give away a penalty that Gray converted. It was his first goal since January 3.

It was only the seventh time Everton have scored away in the league this season but Forest were level within nine minutes.

A low shot from Morgan Gibbs-White was parried away by Jordan Pickford, but Johnson was there to find the net from close range.

Everton were back in front in the 29th minute when Doucoure found space inside the box to head past Forest keeper Keylor Navas after series of aerial duels following a Pickford free kick.

Three of Everton's four goals under Dyche have come from set-piece.

Both sides were up for the fight and a string of fouls meant referee John Brooks had to issue a series of yellow cards.

But Forest kept their composure and rescued a point in the 77th minute.

A pass from Ryan Yates found Johnson on the edge of the box and the forward drove into the area before curling a classy finish into the top corner to boost Forest's survival hopes.