Match Report

Everton responded to their walloping at Old Trafford on Sunday with a 4-0 victory of their own, seizing the moment in a must-win game to comfortably beat fellow strugglers Wolves under the lights at Goodison Park.

All four goals came from set-pieces, the first from the boot of Ashley Young who became the oldest player of the Premier League era to score direct from a free-kick, while Orel Mangala notched his first for the Club and Craig Dawson unwittingly put two past his own goalkeeper.

The Blues had the ball in the next six times in all on the night but two goals were chalked off following review by Video Assistant Referee, Darren England, the first a hugely controversial call confirmed by the on-field referee, Michael Salisbury, which would have made it 2-0 with just a quarter of an hour gone.

Sean Dyche’s men, already ahead thanks to Young, weathered some brief spells of pressure applied by the visitors to eventually double their lead before half-time and added two more after the break to record their biggest home win under the current manager.

Dyche was rewarded for two positive changes to the team that saw Mangala rightly restored in the middle alongside Idrissa Gueye while Abdoulaye Doucouré returned to the role behind the striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin who was restored to the team in place of Beto.

Everton badly needed to win what was already a relegation six-pointer against the side starting the evening in 18th place but it was Wolves who made the more positive start.

Rayan Aït-Nouri stole in behind Young in only the second minute but Jorgen Strand Larsen failed to convert in front of goal while Jordan Pickford had to be alert to make a fine one-handed stop to deny the lively Matheus Cunha after the hosts had failed to clear their lines.

Everton’s best moment of the contest thus far, in the ninth minute, led to the opening goal and it was thanks to the referee’s decision to play the advantage to Doucouré and then pull the play back for a free-kick when the Frenchman had strayed offside and ballooned his shot into the Park End.

Dwight McNeil joined Young over the ball but it was the 39-year-old who took responsibility for the kick, sweeping a low drive wide of José Sá’s despairing drive to give Everton a precious lead.

Dawson’s foul on Calvert-Lewin near the right-hand touchline gave McNeil the chance to curl a free-kick deep into the box and James Tarkowski emerged all smiles when he rose above three Wolves players to head home what he thought was the Toffees’ second of the night. Unfortunately, though, Mangala was adjudged by the officials to have obstructed the run of Mario Lemina from an offside position and a free-kick was awarded to Gary O’Neil’s side instead.

The game swung back and forth for a period as Sá came off his line to block Calvert-Lewin’s shot after McNeil had put him in down the channel and Young flashed a teasing ball across the face of goal at one end while Strand Larsen muscled his way past Tarkowski but was denied by Pickford and then couldn’t adjust his body in time to make proper contact on Matt Doherty’s dangerous volleyed centre.

Another McNeil free-kick wide on the right led to the second legitimate goal, however. His initial delivery was headed out only as far as Vitalii Mykolenko whose miscued first-time shot ricocheted out invitingly to Mangala who waved off a team-mate before burying a deflected shot from the edge of the box.

McNeil almost set the seal on a good first half from the Everton perspective when his left-foot drive was glanced just wide of the target by Lemina and Tarkowski could only plant a header from the resulting corner into the keeper’s arms.

Pleasingly, rather than buckle at the start of the second half as they had against United, the Blues not only held Wolves at bay from two early corners, they padded their lead less than four minutes after the restart.

Aït-Nouri was forced to nod a deep McNeil cross behind for a corner and as Calvert-Lewin and Dawson contested the whipped dead-ball delivery at the back post, it came off the defender and bounced into the goal to make it 3-0.

Nothing ever feels safe where Everton are involved, even with a three-goal cushion, but, to their credit, they never looked likely to let it slip, even when Doherty met Joao Gomes’s cross and headed off the post and Young had to fly across to prevent Cunha from rapping in the loose ball.

Instead, after Calvert-Lewin’s ambitious volley from the angle had missed the target and Iliman Ndiaye’s goal was called back for DCL’s foul on Sa, the Toffees made it 4-0 and should have run away with it even further in the closing stages.

Gomes’s foul on Ndiaye handed another set-piece opportunity to McNeil and this time his wickedly bending free-kick appeared to have been glanced home by the merest of touches by Calvert-Lewin but replays would confirm that the unfortunate Dawson had got the decisive touch with an out-stretched leg to steer it in off the post.

Ndiaye saw a shot deflected behind after a lovely piece of footwork and turn of pace had left his marker for dead and, on his debut, Armando Broja might have had an assist were it not for horrendous finishing from Jack Harrison.

The two substitutes were involved in the 87th minute when Broja, displaying some pleasing movement and running off the last man, held the ball up long enough to feed Jesper Lindstrøm and he teed up Harrison but he skied a right-foot effort from an inviting position.

Then, after more excellent work by Broja ended with him centring an early ball for Harrison, the winger sent it back into orbit with another dreadful shot, this time with his preferred left foot.

While Wolves had their moments, particularly when they were on top in the early stages, they were poor overall, even though crucial interventions by Pickford ensured that Everton became only the second team this season after Arsenal to prevent O’Neil’s men from scoring.

None of the goals truly came from open play but Dyche won’t care a jot as he picks up three huge points that opens up an important five-point gap to the bottom three ahead of four successive matches against the current top four in the Premier League.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

In a crunch 6-pointer under the lights at Goodison Park, Everton finally found the goals they'd been sadly missing — except for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who thought he'd scored two, but they were given as own-goals by Wolves defender Dawson.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin returns to the front line, with Orel Mangala partnering Idrissa Gana Gueye in midfield, Jesper Lindstrøm stepping down to the bench after he continues to disappoint as an attacking or set-piece threat.

Armando Broja is finally included in the senior squad for an Everton game over 3 months after he joined the club on loan from Chelsea, having spent most of that time recovering from an Achilles injury.

No need to tell you how Everton started the game, as Wolves mounted the first attack with Strand Larsen bursting down the left but his dangerous cross was mishit behind. Strand Larsen then crossed in, Branthwaite heading it behind for a corner, Gomes shooting well wide.

Wolves got forward again and Cunha tested Pickford, forcing a save low to his left. Everton finally got forward, Dcucure blasting over, but Everton were given a free-kick for a foul on Calvert-Lewin. Ashley Young took it superbly, curling it around the wall and just inside the near post! An Everton goal! Fantastic!!!

The goal was completely against the early run of play, which resumed with the black-shirted visitors continuing to run freely at the Everton defence, But Anther foul on Calvert-Lewin, another super free-kick, and another splendid goal as James Tarkowski headed it well beyond Sa. Mangala, offside, had blocked Lemina but it should never have been disallowed on review for that! VAR is absolute garbage. 

Calvert-Lewin got forward and was played in beautifully but his attempt was too easily closed down as he failed to lift the ball with any skill or guile over the keeper's body to actually score. 

Young then played a lovely low cross that should have been perfect for Calvert-Lewin to convert but the Everton centre-forward was hanging back in his own inimitable fashion and the chance evaporated in front of him.

Strand Larsen almost scored with a ball from a throw-in but for Pickford's one-handed reaction save. Ndiaye tried to advance but his path was too easily blocked and Wolves were attacking again, a brilliant volleyed cross from Doherty somehow spurned by Strand Larsen.

But another free-kick wide right, Myklenko's shot blocked out to Orel Mangala who volleyed it, deflected through the crowd and into the net, instant redemption!

Mangala was wrongly judged to have fouled Ait-Nouri, who ran into him as the Everton midfielder backheeled the ball away from him… but that warranted a yellow card from this useless referee. 

Young again delivered a lovely cross but Calvert-Lewin was on the wrong side of the defender and could not head it. McNeil's strong shot was deflected off Lemina's head, across goal and just past the other angle. From the corner, Tarkowski's header was too close to Sa.

Doucouré completely wasted a moment when space opened up for him and the chance to shoot went to his head. Branthwaite had to be strong to hold off two attackers as the much-delayed half-time whistle blew.

Wolves restarted and won an early corner that spawned another. After clearing it, Everton got a soft corner at the other end, McNeil's superb delivery to the far post and in – a Dawson own-goal, under close attention from Calvert-Lewin (who didn't seem to touch it!). 

Calvert-Lewin tried an audacious shot wide left,  a bit like Keane's brilliant goal... except that it was way off target.  Wolves kept running at Everton, Cunha always a threat but unable to cause any real damage. 

Ndiaye scored after Calvert-Lewin had fouled Sa, and it was disallowed. Wolves hit the post with a header at the other end. Ndiaye waa ken down for another wide free-kick, McNeil delivering it nicely for a diving header from Calvert-Lewin.... only it wasn't – the last touch again a Dawson own-goal! 

Ndiaye was fouled again, this time by Gomes. Young rolled the free-kick in for Calvert-Lewin to gather, turn and shoot… wide across goal. 

Ndiaye galloped forward, his shot careening off a defender and behind for a corner taken by Harrison. Broja came on and did well to hold off two defenders before Lindstrom crossed for a perfect chance for Harrison in front of goal that he skied abysmally. 

Broja again worked hard and the ball came back again for Jack Harrison and again he blazed the ball high wide and horribly off target. But Everton had scored enough for a famous victory under the lights. 

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young, Ndiaye, Doucoure (83' Lindstrøm), Gueye, Mangala [Y:35'] (89' Armstrong), McNeil (74' Harrison), Calvert-Lewin (83' Broja).

Subs not Used: Virginia, Patterson, Beto, O'Brien, Coleman.

Wolves: Sa, Doherty (77' R Gomes), Dawson, Bueno (77' T Gomes), Ait-Nouri, J Gomes (85' Doyle), Andre, Lemina, Guedes (57' Hwang), Cunha, Strand Larsen.

Subs not Used: Bellegarde, Bentley, Forbs, Johnstone, Lima.

Attendance: 38,820

Michael Kenrick

Match Preview

Everton gear up for another hugely important game under the lights at Goodison Park as they welcome fellow strugglers Wolves.

The Blues’ 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United on Sunday ensured that they come into this clash sitting just two points above the Midlanders who currently occupy the uppermost slot in the relegation zone.

Indeed, that sloppy defeat at Old Trafford, Everton’s sixth of the campaign so far, means that a four-point gap persists between the bottom six and mid-table comfort.

Sean Dyche may be able to call on Armando Broja at some stage for this one, however. A late decision was made at the weekend to withhold the on-loan forward from the matchday squad that travelled to Manchester as he didn’t feel quite ready but he is expected to be on the team sheet to face Wolves.

Youssef Chermiti, meanwhile, is “training well and training hard” in the manager’s words but is “not ready yet” because he will need “an extended games programme” to get him up to full fitness.

Seamus Coleman, an unused substitute on Sunday, has had the benefit of a few more days and could be considered at right back along with Nathan Patterson, either as a replacement for Ashley Young in the side or to accommodate the 39-year-old switching to left-back where Vitalii Mykolenko has been struggling for form.

A knock to the knee that kept Michael Keane out of the squad to play United is expected to sideline him again but Dyche has no new injury concerns as he plots a way to get his under-performing team scoring again having now gone four matches without finding the net.

Beto started at the weekend and had a lively quarter-hour in the first half where he went close to opening the scoring with a shot that ultimately found the side-netting but the Portuguese striker otherwise struggled to make an impact.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin came off the bench and forced a reaction save from Andre Onana with a diving header off Patterson’s late cross and Dyche may feel that overall, the more experienced and reliable starter will be the one to go for.

Behind the striker, the manager is still searching for consistent answers to the problem of creating chances and it remains to be seen if he persists with Jesper Lindstrøm over Jack Harrison, Dwight McNeil in the nominal No 10 role and Abdoulaye Doucouré as a deeper lying central midfielder.

Wolves endured a similarly dreadful start to the season as Everton and picked up just two points from their first 27 available. However, seven points in November has lifted them off the foot of the table and indicated that they might have enough to eventually pull clear of the drop zone under Gary O’Neil.

In Matheus Cunha, they have a potentially lethal striker if they can generate chances for him while Jorgen Strand Larsen scored twice on his last outing, a 4-2 home defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

For Everton, it will be a case of focusing on the positive parts of the first half at Old Trafford where they were the better side for a period before mistakes condemned them to a heavy defeat.

If they can get amongst the visitors early, get the Goodison crowd involved and grab an early goal, they could establish a platform on which to start building a recovery in their form.

Kick-off: 7:30pm, Wednesday 4 December, 2024
Referee: Michael Salisbury
VAR: Darren England
Last Time: Everton 0 - 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gueye, Doucouré, Harrison, Ndiaye, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin

Lyndon Lloyd

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