Nottingham Forest-Everton Preview

Anthony Gordon is drawing interest from Chelsea, but Everton manager Frank Lampard has no concerns over the winger's availability to feature against Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea have bid twice for Gordon in the last week, but both those offers have been turned down by Everton, with reports that the Toffees value the 21-year-old at £50 million.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured, the winger has started up front in both of Everton's Premier League games this season, with Lampard's team losing both, to Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively.

Yet Everton, who have already sold Richarlison to Tottenham, might now have to consider cashing in on their brightest prospect.

"He's an Everton player, isn't he. I don't want to talk about hypothetical questions, he's an Everton player," said Lampard.

"He's in the squad for tomorrow. Any chat I had with him will remain private and as any player should do they have to get on with their own game, train well, prepare well. He's our player, simple as that."

When asked if Gordon would definitely be an Everton player by the end of the transfer window, Lampard replied: "You can't ask me to assure anything, that'll be naïve for me to assure anything. Who knows."

A player that Everton had been linked with is Morgan Gibbs-White, and despite the Toffees having reportedly made a late bid, the England youth international joined Forest from Wolves on Friday.

He is Forest's 16th signing of the season, with one of the other new arrivals - Taiwo Awoniyi - scoring their winner against West Ham last week.

"Goodison Park is an iconic stadium in this division and always creates a good atmosphere, so we've got to go there knowing that will be the case but we go with good confidence following the work we've put in this week," said Steve Cooper.

Everton - Anthony Gordon

All eyes will be on Gordon, given the developments of the last week, and Everton need their number 10 to step up and be counted against Forest.

Nottingham Forest - Taiwo Awoniyi

Awoniyi scored Nottingham Forest's winner against West Ham in his first ever Premier League start. The only player to score in his first two Premier League starts for the club is Stan Collymore, in August 1994.

- Lampard won neither of his two league games against Nottingham Forest while Derby manager in the Championship in 2018-19 (D1 L1), failing to score in both games. Forest are one of only two teams he has faced in league football and not seen his teams score, along with Blackburn Rovers (two games, no goals).

- After netting three goals in his first four Premier League games for Everton, Demarai Gray has scored just twice more in his last 32 appearances for the club. He has had just three shots in his two games this season (1.5 per game), after averaging 1.9 last season (65 shots in 34 games).

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

- This is 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.

- Everton have lost both their Premier League games so far this season, but have no lost each of their opening three matches in a league campaign since 1990-91.

Updated August 19, 2022