Premier League GW20 - Wolves vs Everton

Wolves vs Everton | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

In a pivotal Premier League matchup against Everton, Wolves sought to complete an incredible holiday season with a third straight victory at Molineux. Riding high following decisive victories over Brentford and Chelsea, Gary O'Neil's team looked to continue their winning streak at home. Conversely, Everton wanted to recover from their previous losses and win important points.

Wolves:

After thrilling victories over Brentford and Chelsea during the holiday season propelled Gary O'Neil's team to 11th place in the Premier League standings, Wolves is hoping to close 2023 with three straight victories. Wolves is hoping to increase its winning streak at Molineux to eight league games after appearing to have put any relegation worries behind them. Teams like Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Tottenham, and Chelsea have all lost on the pitch since the end of September.

Everton:

Everton, on the other hand, lost its first two games after Christmas, but Sean Dyche saw some encouraging signs from both encounters as his team nearly defeated Tottenham before blowing a 1-0 lead to Manchester City on Wednesday. Everton, which would be one point above their hosts if not for their 10-point deduction for breaking the Premier League's financial rules, has an opportunity to move four points clear of the bottom three after Luton Town's valiant 3-2 loss to Chelsea in Saturday's early game.

Line ups:

WOLVES (3-4-3):

Jose Sa; Maximilian Kilman, Craig Dawson, Toti Gomes; Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Tommy Doyle, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Hwang Hee-chan, Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia.

WOLVES SUBS: Matt Doherty, Santiago Bueno, Boubacar Traore, Pedro Neto, Hugo Bueno, Sasa Kalajdzic, Dan Bentley, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Joe Hodge.

EVERTON (3-4-3):

Jordan Pickford; Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite; Nathan Patterson, James Garner, Amadou Onana, Vitalii Mykolenko; Jack Harrison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dwight McNeil.

EVERTON SUBS: Arnaut Danjuma, Joao Virginia, Beto, Andre Gomes, Ben Godfrey, Seamus Coleman, Youssef Chermiti, Mackenzie Hunt, Lewis Dobbin.

Molineux Stadium | Picture Credits: Lime Venue Portfolio

First Half: Kilman Breaks the Deadlock

Wolves got off to a fast start, taking advantage of Everton's defensive adjustments. Cunha's long-range shot and Hwang's early opportunity indicated the hosts' intentions. The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when Pickford made a remarkable stop from Dawson's shot, allowing Kilman to capitalise on a goalmouth scramble. The Molineux supporters went wild with joy after Wolves seized a 1-0 lead.

Wolves held onto the game despite Everton's best efforts, which included a near miss from McNeil and an offside call against Calvert-Lewin. Kilman's goal to split the sides at the end of the first half demonstrated Wolves' superiority.

Wolves led the game 1-0 as the teams went into halftime. Kilman's goal demonstrated their offensive ability, and Everton found it difficult to put Sa in goal. As Sean Dyche tried to inspire a comeback from his Everton team, O'Neil's team looked to build on their impressive first-half performance.

Second Half: Cunha and Dawson Seal the Win

In the second half, Wolves persisted in their assault, giving Everton early problems with Dawson's cut clearing and Sarabia's wide free kick. The game-winning goal came in the 53rd minute when Cunha, with help from Hwang, tapped home with ease to double Wolves' advantage to 2-0. The Molineux supporters went wild as the Brazilian displayed his exquisite finishing once more.

Wolves continued after that. Dawson increased the lead to 3-0 in the 61st minute after taking advantage of Cunha's cross. After a quick VAR review, the goal was confirmed, and Molineux was ecstatic. Everton was up against it; Wolves were in complete control.

Everton's problems grew more severe as the match went on. In a rare dangerous moment, McNeil struck the post, but Pickford's heroics kept Wolves from scoring a fourth. Goals disallowed for offside against Hwang and Neto highlighted Wolves' offensive prowess.

The final siren went off at Molineux, signalling Wolves' commanding 3-0 triumph over Everton. The standout players of the day were Dawson, Cunha, and Kilman, who demonstrated Wolves' strength on defence and attacking ability. While Everton continued to worry about relegation, O'Neil's team moved up to tie Chelsea for 11th place in the Premier League standings

Wolves supporters celebrated a fantastic holiday season and welcomed the new year with hope for the difficulties that lay ahead due to the team's revival. Conversely, Everton needed to improve in order to get out of the relegation zone. With the conclusion of another exciting Premier League match, football fans are already looking forward to the next exciting chapter in this wild season.

Kilman's goal gave Wolves a 1-0 lead in the first half | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Cunha netted a goal and increased Wolves lead to 2-0 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Dawson's goal gave Wolves a 3-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website