Desperate Blues undone again by late Wolves smash and grab

Everton 0 - 1 Wolves

Everton return to Goodison Park this weekend to face Wolves for their second home game of the season still searching for their first goal and points of 2023-24.

And Sean Dyche's daunting task continues to be made harder as the injury list expands relentlessly, with Calvert-Lewin and Iwobi added back onto it last week.  

Dwight McNeil, Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli, and Jean-Philippe Gbamin remain injured, with the fitness of new signings Jack Harrison and Youssef Chermiti still under question.  

Branthwaite starts in place of Keane, as many had hoped, with Danjuma and Dobbin preferred instead of the misfiring Maupay. Youssef Chermiti is finally considered fit enough to at least suit on the bench. 

Wolves kicked off but the Blues were quickly on the ball, without creating a real attack but they continued to press hard, Gana making the first foul on Silva. The exchanges were lively but a stupid ball from Onana saw him then catch Silva badly but the ref fortunately played advantage. 

Dobbin had a good contest brewing with Semedo down the left. Danjuma fired off a shot from a long way out that was always rising. Lamina did much the same at the other end. Patterson put in a great cross that really should have converted but Danjuma did not jump for it. 

Everton continued to push forward but the final ball was missing and, on one counter, Branthwaite made a poor pass but chased down his man to recover well. 

Dobbin put in a good cross from the left but it was headed away. His next chance to cross was badly overhit. Danjuma, obviously onside, saw Sa deflect his goalbound shot onto the post before the flag went up. 

Some more good passing saw Dobbin win a corner after Semedo stalled him again. But Sa collected Dobbin's corner with ease. Everton were moving the ball nicely but still not getting anywhere near the Wolves goal before moves were breaking down, while Wolves were starting to probe a little more, Patterson catching Hwang on the byeline.   

Everton won another corner, Tarkowski firing it well wide and hitting Dobbin, rebounding back across goal but fumbled by Sa and lashed into the side netting by Tarkowski. Semedo cynically grabbed at Danjuma but it was Gomes who was yellow-carded or delaying the restart. The free-kick delivery by Young was decent but Branthwaite could not get enough on it to direct it goalwards. 

Branthwaite saw the danger when Young was beaten and he was across quickly to intercept. Smarts by Cunha started a stronger Wolves attack that Neto blasted over. Patterson put over a tasty cross that Danjuma tried to volley first time with his instep but it squirmed wide. 

Semedo caught Dobbin late from behind and was finally cautioned. Young's free-kick came to nothing. It was very competitive in midfield with Wolves pushing forward and harried at every turn, Cunha falling awkwardly and getting accidentally trodden on by Tarkowski after he tried to head a cross. 

Some real chances in the first half which was fairly even in the end. Dobbin drew another foul from Semedo early in the second half, but Young's free-kick came to nothing, Dobbin unable to get past Semedo.  Patterson was tested by Bueno who crossed into the side netting. 

Young put a great ball into Doucoure who chose to cross again instead of shooting. Silva pushed Gana, Lemina getting booked for dissent. Danjuma tried to flick it past Sa, winning a corner from which Young delivered well Branthwate and Garner saw Sa in the way of their attempts, Brainthwaite baulking Sa. 

Onana caught his ankle in an attempted tackle but soon came back on. Wolves attacked and Silva looked to have converted Bueno's excellent cross but he had stepped a foot offside. 

A dreadful error by Pickford saw Silva nip in but fire wide. A quick counter to he other end saw Dobbin win another corner but Young's delivery to the near post was headed behind by Tarkowski. 

Garner blocked Ait-Nouri for a foul, the free-kick saw a fantastic reaction save on the line  by Pickford down to his right, possibly off an Everton defender. Danjuma got a good through ball but he was shepherded well and could not beat Sa. 

More end-to-end excitement, curtailed by a debut for Chermiti, on for Dobbin. A fantastic move by Everton saw a great cross from Garner headed into the ground by Doucoure and saved incredibly by Sa as it bounced up under the bar. 

Some excellent defensive work by Branthwaite on Neto turned another Wolves attack, Everton winning another corner but still not beating Sa. Danjuma fouled Neto, the free-kick defended well for a quick break by Doucoure but Sa is out quickly to smother the danger. 

A good move saw Garner work the ball through to Doucoure who controlled it well and deftly fired past Sa but it was called offside and confirmed by the VAR. A promising Young free kick after a foul by Gomes was delivered straight to Sa. 

Everton tried to build again but Patterson's cross was straight to Sa. Everton won yet another corner, not delivered well by Young and driven wide by Branthwaite. 

Neto swung in a deep cross that Pickford backed off from and the defenders avoided as Kalajdzic glanced his backheader into the Park End goal to utterly stun Goodison Park with 2 minutes left. 

Chermiti stupidly barged Dawson off the ball for a straight yellow card. Everton had 5 minutes added time to try and get their first goal of the season, but with Dyche making two desperate late changes. 

Everton huffed and puffed but could not make it happen, Tarkowski having to make a desperate block, and then giving up a dangerous free-kick. that Pickford saved well enough.

But it was not to be and Everton would set another hugely embarrassing record: never in all their long history had they lost all three opening games without scoring a goal. 

Everton: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Branthwaite [Y:53'], Young, Garner [Y:63'], Gana (90+1' Keane), Onana, Doucoure, Dobbin (66' Chermiti [Y:90']), Danjuma (90+1' Cannon).

Subs not Used: Virginia, Lonergan,  Maupay, Mykolenko, Godfrey, Onyango.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo [Y:39'], Dawson [Y:68'], Kilman, Bueno (85' Totti), Pedro Neto, Joao Gomes [Y:29'], Lemina [Y:52'], Hwang (46' Ait-Nouri), Matheus Cunha (85' Kalajdzic), Silva (73' Sarabia).

Subs not Used: Doherty, Traore Gomes, Bentley, Hodge.

Attendance: 38,851

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