Jordan Pickford says Everton will be relentless and “keep fighting” in their pursuit to secure their Premier League safety as soon as possible. 

The Toffees came out on top in a crucial clash at home to Nottingham Forest this past Sunday, downing the visitors 2-0 thanks to goals from Idrissa Gana Gueye and Dwight McNeil. 

Everton’s win saw them open up a five-point gap to 18th-placed Luton Town, with Sean Dyche’s men also boasting a game in hand over the Hatters which is this Wednesday’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park (kick-off 8pm BST). 

Despite the relatively strong position the Blues now find themselves in with four rounds of fixtures remaining, Pickford insists the group will not let up and remain highly motivated going into the final stretch of the season.

“We will keep fighting, keep battling, do what we do and give it our all,” Pickford told evertontv, as he looked ahead to two big home games in the space of four days. “The team’s collective performance is bigger than any individual one, we have to give 100 per cent to make sure we are helping each other to keep fighting and getting results. 

“We keep giving ourselves tough seasons but we keep fighting, keep going and we won’t stop.”

As is often the case, Pickford played a crucial role in Sunday’s win as he denied Forest’s Chris Wood from point-blank range with a stunning stop at 1-0 as the game approached the half-time break. 

That proved a huge moment in the contest and helped Pickford on his way to securing a 10th Premier League clean sheet of the campaign - only Arsenal’s David Raya has managed more. 

Despite his own strong displays, Everton’s and England’s No.1 was keen to deflect praise onto the wider group, stating strong defensive showings have very much been a collective effort this season. 

“It’s not just back four, it is everybody," he said. "It starts with the full 11 who are on the pitch, giving our all without the ball to help stop the opposition from creating opportunities. So it is not just praise for the back four and myself, you have to give praise to everybody who is working hard to give ourselves the best opportunity."

Looking towards tomorrow’s Merseyside derby and beyond, Pickford added: “Every game is massive now and we have to keep fighting. It was disappointing last Monday (the defeat to Chelsea), but we know the fans are on our side and it’s about us then putting a performance on. Giving 100 per cent on the pitch, grafting and when you work hard you get the rewards."