Everton v Forest - Can Everton Defy Gravity?

Can Everton defy Gravity?  Sir Isaac Newton saw an apple fall but can Everton see the way to escape the inexorable force he discovered?

As we have observed no club in the Premier League has had a more frustrating start to the season than Everton.  For a team that finished the last two seasons in 17th place the ten-point deduction the league handed down last month seemed like a death sentence.  Can they shoot geyser-like out of the relegation strata?  Or come May will we hear the monstrous sucking sound of a team, founded in 1878, going down the drain to the Championship.  They would be spending their first season outside the top flight since 1953/54.  And the escape act seemed harder still with their dynamic but injury-stricken striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, missing from the lineup.  ACL, MCL, Still No DC-L!  Having earned only three points at home to start the campaign, a tilt against the restive rookies from Nottingham Forest seemed like the perfect opportunity to start their miraculous levitation. 

The teams spent the first twenty minutes sizing each other up with no real chances coming at either end, but Everton were clearly in the driver’s seat. Then the perfect opportunity fell to Everton, a penalty kick.  DCL’s replacement, Beto, sent the ball soaring into the 20th row.  The game opened up from that point, with opportunities coming on both sides. It’s clear that Everton is missing the creativity and playmaking ability of Alex Iwobi who’s showing good form at Fulham, scoring his first goal of the season last weekend. Doucouré is a serviceable replacement, but he lacks the speed and attacking mindset that would make him a truly great central midfielder.  

Nothing more creative from either team from the start of the second half.  Wildly mediocre football with squandered chances coming from the spendthrift Toffees.  All hope for an exciting climax seemed lost until Jordan Pickford launched a freekick into the opposing box from midfield that pinballed off a dozen heads before bouncing to the back post. Dwight McNeil readied himself and took a mad swing making contact with the outside of his left boot on a half volley, sending a screamer into the top right corner of the goal.

Nottingham Forest flipped the switch once they fell a goal behind.  They started to press applying some heavy pressure on every Everton possession. The versatile center back, Murillo, sliced through the Blue’s defense and fired a bouncer that was deflected away by Pickford without too much difficulty.  As always, Pickford made it very clear, who was to blame for letting Murillo through, with his scolding. Forest just couldn’t find a way to break through the staunch Everton defense tonight. They are pretty resilient at the back.  The final whistle blew to close out a tightly contested 1-0 win for the Toffees, giving them a critical three points and yet another win on the road.