Everton 0 Wolves 1
Sean Dyche’s team have endured a dreadful start to the season which has seen them lose their two opening games without even scoring a goal, as they welcomed Wolves to Goodison Park. Struggling to score and conceding with regularity is never a good look for a football team.
The visitors themselves have really been struggling for goals, statistically, this game had 0-0 written all over it but football never tends to work that way. Toffees’ fans could be forgiven for being unable to remember the last time they saw Jordan Pickford keep a clean sheet.
Dyche’s side started brightly, Danjuma was played in and ran through with only the keeper to beat but his shot was tipped, rather awkwardly, onto the post. You will not be seeing that save in a coaching manual anytime soon.
However, the assistant raised his flag after the event, which we have to assume was for this effort but with the way the rules are now this could be for any offside in the last seven days. Why they have to wait so long to put their flag up now is just baffling.
Credit: @Everton
Everton won a corner which came out to Tarkowski on the edge of the box who let rip. His effort was heading well wide of the goal before it struck Dobbin on the chest and forced Sa into a save to keep his side on level terms.
Patterson then managed to swing in a cross from the right wing and it dropped to Danjuma who was unmarked in the penalty area but the Villareal man could only side-foot his effort wide of the visitors’ goal, accompanied by the groans from the Everton fans.
The Toffees had an early chance in the second half when Sa spilled a cross but he was soon to make amends as he saved Garner’s shot and then Braithwaite’s follow up to frustrate the home side even further.
Fortunately Sean Dyche was already bald when he became Everton manager as by this point of the game, he would have torn all his hair out with his side’s inability to put the ball in the back of the net. The FA may soon ask them to rename the team ‘Everton Nil’ to save time on the vidiprinter.
The visitors then came forward in their first real attack of the game and as Hwang swung in the cross, Fabio Silva slotted it home, only to see the assistant raise his flag for offside. Replays showed it was a good decision by the official.
If Everton needed any sort of warning that they could pay the ultimate price for their inability to convert chances, then this was it. Just to reiterate the point, confusion between defence and keeper saw Silva ghost in between them to knock the ball passed Pickford but wide of the post.
Credit: @Wolves
Many could be forgiven for wondering how Pickford makes it into the England side as first choice, other than compromising pictures he may own of Gareth Southgate, but he proved his worth when he made a fantastic reaction save from a Wolves free kick.
Everton came forward and as the ball was crossed in, Doucoure headed it into the ground and Jose Sa made an incredible save to tip the effort over the bar, before ending up in the net himself. Doucoure finally had the ball in the back of the net moments later, only to see it ruled out for offside.
It was an incredibly tight VAR decision, the kind that leaves you scratching your head as to what they are seeing in the replay to rule it out, especially if you are an Everton fan. No matter what The Toffees did, they just could not seem to score today.
Then the unthinkable happened in a game that the hosts had truly dominated. Wolves whipped a deep cross into the box, substitute Kalajdzic flicked it on and it was in the back of the net. Goodison Park fell silent apart from the away end.
As the full time whistle went, the frustration was plain to see on Sean Dyche’s face. For Wolves, it was the classic sucker punch and their first win of the season. The home fans headed home knowing that another tough season loomed based on their start to the campaign, securing their Premier League status is the only goal they can strive for.
Did you enjoy this article? Please share to your social media. With one click you can help spread the word and make Solid at the Back the one-stop shop for all Premier League fans.