Everton scored four goals against Wolves, securing their largest home victory since April 2019, which helped alleviate some of the mounting pressure on manager Sean Dyche. The Premier League's joint-lowest scorers suddenly saw their fortunes turn as Ashley Young scored his first goal in over two years, just eight months shy of his 40th birthday, igniting a crucial win. Becoming the club's oldest goalscorer and the oldest player to reach 50 goals in the Premier League was just the beginning of an extraordinary match on one of the few remaining nights under the lights at Goodison Park.
On-loan midfielder Orel Mangala, after being deemed offside by VAR when James Tarkowski scored, redeemed himself by scoring his first goal since joining from Lyon. However, luck did not favor Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who returned to the lineup after being dropped against Manchester United. His goal drought extended to 10 games as Craig Dawson was credited with two second-half own goals under pressure from the striker, who appeared much sharper than in recent games.
The result intensifies the scrutiny on Wolves head coach Gary O'Neil, with the team second from bottom and four points adrift of safety. With upcoming fixtures against top-six sides Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Nottingham Forest, and having already suffered a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford, this was a must-win game for Everton in December. The victory lifted them five points clear of the bottom three.
However, no one could have predicted the one-sided nature of a game that, before kick-off, featured the league's joint-worst attack (10 goals) against the worst defense (Wolves conceded 35). The subdued atmosphere highlighted the high stakes. Everton have a quick turnaround with a lunchtime kick-off in Saturday's Merseyside derby. Dyche acknowledged that they will not be resting on their laurels and will be back in training on Thursday.
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