Demarai Gray described his equaliser against Manchester City as the perfect hit and was left proud by his teammates' immense character shown in the 1-1 New Year's Eve draw.

The forward curled the ball into the far corner as it rattled off the inside of the bar and into the net past Ederson just past the hour mark to give the Blues a deserved reward at the Etihad.

Gray revealed there was no doubt in his mind that the ball wouldn’t find the back of the net once he unleashed his 20-yard strike.

“As soon as it left my foot, I knew that I hit it perfectly,” he said.

“Even when I slipped, it gave me a bit more composure.

“We knew that for a majority of the game that we were going to be behind the ball but realised on transitions that we could be a threat.

“I’m delighted to take the point and I think we should be proud that we stuck to the game plan, and it paid off.”

It was a battling performance from Frank Lampard’s men who deservedly returned to Merseyside with a point on the road.

Gray described the encounter as fiercely-contested, but the challenge was ultimately worth it.

“In the game, you have to suffer a bit but it’s all worth it now,” he added.

“We dug deep. I think we showed our character and what we’re capable of.

“However, it’s nothing to get carried away over.

“Like I said, I always believe that we are capable of these performances. It’s just about maintaining the standards and trying to put in performances like that every week.

“We proved today how difficult we can be to play against so it’s about building upon that.”

Up next for Everton is Brighton & Hove Albion who make the journey to Goodison Park on Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old says himself and his teammates must ensure that the display against City is replicated as they look to make amends for the heart-breaking finish last time on home soil in the loss to Wolves.

“I think it’s just within ourselves, how we apply ourselves every day in training and keeping our standards high," added Gray.

“We know the quality we have in the team, but if we’re not been performing at that sort of level every week then it’s not good enough.

“It’s a good end to the year, positives to take but there’s another important game round the corner.

“It’s about gaining momentum now and getting points on the board.

“From now to the end of the season, every point is important.”