Everton

The fans arrived in a sentimental mood but Julen Lopetegui wasn’t having any of it.

With no Moutinho or Jonny in the squad and Raul left working the touchline as an unused substitute, this wasn’t the fond farewell many had anticipated.

But Adama reminded us all of the good old days with a full length sprint that ended with Hwang slotting in the opener and with several sumptuous Neves passes to appreciate, the crowd at least got some of what they wanted.

It sort of fell apart a bit for Everton after a good start. For a while it felt inevitable they’d open the scoring with Wolves unable to retain the ball and crosses raining down on Dan Bentley’s goal.

But Traore’s super break and a couple of injuries really set them back and from that point it was Wolves’ game to lose.

We should have punished them in the second half but as usual we squandered the few chances we created and when we did finally manage a good effort from Matheus Nunes, Pickford was there to keep it out.

The Toffees were on their knees, relying on long punts into the area and set pieces as their only route to goal with Wolves defending superbly to repel the bombardment.

But when the board went up showing an almost inexplicable 9 minutes of additional time, it felt inevitable that something would develop.

We came within one cross of seeing it out but credit to Everton for keeping at it and getting what could be the most precious reward.

Did Lopetegui learn anything from the multitude of changes he made to the team? Probably not.

Collins worked hard and won his share of tackles but looked nervous at times and seems too error prone to be consistently relied upon.

Podence drifted in and out trying all the usual flicks, Hwang scored his goal and covered the ground while Sarabia struggled to adapt to the pace of the game.

With such indifferent attacking options it felt cruel for Raul not to get at least a token few minutes but I trust in the manager’s judgement.

We should respect the past but look to the future.

It’s time to move forward and hopefully find some new heroes.

This is a massive game – for Everton.

How much resistance Wolves can offer is anyone’s guess.

We’ve seen some papery performances from this team but, to their credit, they’ve been excellent at home and won the last four without conceding a goal.

Signing off with a fifth successive home victory would be splendid and further underline the good work Julen Lopetegui has done since Christmas.

There are already noises about FFP issues and worrying lines from the manager seeking assurances. Whatever happens with the playing staff we must retain him at all costs.

Everton

One win from the final two should be enough for Sean Dyche’s side and the fixtures look kind. Wolves away and Bournemouth at home is favourable to the challenges facing the sides around them.

But it’s still perilous. Lose tomorrow and Leeds would only need a draw at West Ham to seize the initiative going into the last day. Leicester have a job on their hands at Newcastle but a shock result there could also spell trouble, particularly with the Foxes having a superior goal difference.

Forest aren’t out of it completely, mainly due to having the worst goal difference of all the clubs down there and Arsenal to come. 34 might be enough for them but it’s right on the edge.

My best guess is Leeds and Leicester to drop but I’m looking forward to seeing how it unfolds over the next two weekends and getting a front row seat tomorrow.

The Toffees smashed Brighton 5-1 in their last away game and looked a really good unit. Sean Dyche says he’s happy with the consistency of their performances and I would agree they look a lot more competitive.

Wolves

I think Julen saw a different game to me at Old Trafford. In his post match comments he suggested Man Utd didn’t have that many chances, but I thought they missed several sitters even before they went ahead and should have won by a bigger margin.

But it was our meagre attacking play that frustrated me most. Nobody took any risks or played with purpose in the final third and consequently we didn’t create a single chance.

I’ve gone with the same XI but only because they’ve done so well at Molineux and I’m hoping we can repeat that success tomorrow.

It might not be a bad game for João Gomes with the combative qualities he brings to the midfield. Toti has to play because we need the three big defenders to combat the obvious and very real threat they pose from set pieces.

Will Daniel Bentley retain his place or will Sa come back? The former certainly couldn’t have done any more at Old Trafford. I was impressed.

Predictions

Well done to Rich, Prawny, Sea Pigeon and Pete Dunbar who all correctly predicted the score against Man Utd.

Rich now has an unassailable 7 point lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 36 and is the Prediction League champion for 2022/23. Well done mate.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Better to be lucky than good.

In Julen Lopetegui’s debut in the Premier League, it appears we might have a manager who is both.

The Spaniard’s pedigree was beyond question before we finally landed him in November, the evidence of which could be seen in a late change in formation that stymied Everton in the latter stages and assisted our smash-and-grab winner at the death.

But even more encouraging was him benefiting from a generous dollop of good fortune, because we’ve been light on it in recent times and moreover, we were crap.

Call it the gravy on the turkey or the brandy butter on the Christmas pud, it tasted delicious and we need lashings more of the ingredient until our Spaniard can weed out a few of these failures and replace with much better in January.

Matheus Cunha is an excellent start and will surely offer infinitely more than the leaden footed carthorse Costa, who we should never have touched with a bargepole in the first place.

Some other additions with much needed leadership qualities wouldn’t go amiss either, as we sold the few we had to begin with, didn’t replace and now have a flaky side who I wouldn’t trust to put the bins out, never mind mark a player from a corner. Mina’s free header after seven minutes being a stark reminder of why.

In fact, the 88 minutes thereafter were a sobering post World Cup reminder of why we plunged to the foot of the league before the tournament began. Amid the garbage was surely Podence’s best performance of the season in a heartening showing. He was one of few who really caught the eye and deserves praise, irrespective of his well-taken goal.

We are incapable of keeping the ball and are too-often overrun in midfield, our defence is laced with errors and we don’t have nearly enough cutting thrust in the final third. Our game management is awful and we don’t work hard enough when we don’t have the ball.

Collins’ profligacy in the first half and Hwang’s revolting lack of effort to track back thereafter gave three examples of the above in the space of 5 seconds. Everton’s Gordon should have scored and on another day, he would have.

Collins also resembled a baby giraffe when the ball hit his heels which allowed Maupay a clear sighter at goal which he’s buried against us in one or two previous fixtures.

Thankfully he didn’t and in fairness, Everton operated at arm’s length in the second half for the most part, although we still needed a goal line clearance from Neves to preserve what looked like a handy away point.

It would become all three when we showed an unlikely ruthless edge with the last attack of the game, Ait Nouri firing home from a deflected Traore cross, aided by a lovely Nunes through ball in the build-up.

For Lopetegui, he couldn’t have dreamt of 5pm scenes like these. A performance littered with the same old errors, featuring the same flaky failures who prompted his mercy-dash to Molineux to begin with, and three priceless points as a reward for watching it all…

…The lucky old devil.

If we can only win one of the next three, this would be the one to choose.

It would be nice to sign-off the year by beating Utd or start 2023 with victory at Villa Park, but neither of those sides will be in contention for the drop. Everton could be.

Prior to Lopetegui’s arrival I wouldn’t have given Wolves much hope in any of these games but I do expect us to improve under his leadership and with a few more players available, we’ve got a chance.

At the same time, he doesn’t have a magic wand to fix the individual and collective shortcomings of the group. It’s going to take time and new personnel to really shake things up.

Everton

There was a brief period when it seemed like Frank Lampard was onto something this season.

A good performance in the Merseyside Derby and a couple of wins against West Ham and Southampton got them going. But things have gone off course in recent months.

Two thrashings in the space of a few days by Bournemouth (one in the League Cup) saw nasty exchanges between fans and players as they sunk to within a point of the relegation places.

Prior to that they’d been solid enough defensively and just struggling to do enough damage at the other end.

Without question they’ve profited by adding our club captain to their ranks and it’s almost impossible to deny that had we not let him go, we’d be above them in the table.

I’m assuming he can’t play tomorrow and that should work in our favour. Dominic Calvert Lewin is also doubtful and any loss to their firepower is welcome.

Wolves

There are plenty of decisions for Julen to make and they will have an impact on how this plays out.

The above is what I’d probably start with if everyone was fit but there’s a question mark over Boubacar. That’s a shame because he was excellent against Arsenal.

Nunes and Traore didn’t start in midweek but it’s a big call to leave them out. I’d expect to see Raul and Hwang from the bench and it’s good that we can now stack these attacking players in games to change things up. That could make all the difference.

Matheus Cunha is imminent too and he hasn’t been brought in to make up the numbers. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of those attacking players left in January but I’d be happy to keep all of them. It’s all hands on deck.

We need some aggression and leadership in defence so a centre half and a right back would be top of my shopping list.

Predictions

Well done to Wokeywolf, Matthew Cook, pauluswolf, Rich, Sandwich Wolf, StrangeLuck, wishfart and Twixfix for all getting the scoreline correct in the defeat to Arsenal.

PeteRobbo remains clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 15.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

I just read a stat.

Wolves haven’t conceded a first half goal in any of their last 14 away games in the Premier League.

Only the Arsenal side of 1998 can match that run in the history of the competition. Some achievement.

Like a lot of others I was dubious about the team selection and that first 45 – despite the shutout – was uninspiring in and out of possession.

It seemed like we were waiting for Everton to make their move and letting their porous defence off the hook.

Richarlison was getting in behind at the other end and we had to lean on Jose Sa’s judgement and reflexes to prevent them landing a significant blow.

But Wolves improved as it went on and gave themselves a platform to move through the gears in the second period, which is exactly what they did.

Right from the whistle there was a hunger and an intensity that had been missing up to that point and the goal capped a good five minute spell of pressure.

It was a brilliant header from the skipper but that fizzing, wicked delivery from Ruben did a lot of the work. It’s been some week for him.

Everton crumbled as Wolves stroked the ball around in neat triangles and mopped up the occasional ball over the top to see things out with a degree of comfort.

If there’s a criticism it’s a familiar one about not doing enough in the final third. Smart passing opened up numerous positions to plunge a dagger into their heart – particularly after they were reduced to 10 – but poor decision making and wasteful finishing meant we couldn’t completely relax.

We mustn’t grumble though. After a meek performance at West Ham and a total surrender against Palace, we couldn’t have asked for a better response.

Two wins, two cleansheets, five scored and back up to 7th.

This latest victory also gave us the most away victories we’ve managed in a Premier League season (8) and there’s no sign we’re falling away just yet.

The emphatic nature of last night’s victory doesn’t wipe away the disappointment of the previous three defeats, but it did wipe away the damage done to our goal difference.

And that could yet prove crucial if we’re able to remain close to the sides just above us.

It seemed impossible to score a goal at the weekend, but everything went in against Watford in that first half.

Some of it owed to good fortune, but that luck was earned by putting the ball in good areas and pressuring defenders (and one sorry looking goalkeeper) into errors. We need to do both of those things more often.

Can we expose another struggling team on Sunday?

Everton

It’s going to the wire for Everton. I’m looking at their remaining fixtures and seeing Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, West Ham and wondering where the points are coming from?

They’ve got two home games to come against us and a Newcastle team that can’t stop winning. Anything less than at least one victory would leave them in deep trouble.

Their saving grace might be the three games in hand they’ve got on an equally despondent Leeds team, but I don’t fancy them in a foot race to the finish against Burnley.

The 46 goals they’ve conceded is twice as many as Wolves from three fewer matches and they haven’t been flying in at the other end either with just 28 so far (the same as Wolves).

Injuries have deprived them of key personnel for extended periods – not least Dominic Calvert Lewin who got 16 goals last season but has only managed 3 this time and has sat out most of the campaign.

Ben Godfrey (who may return Sunday) and Yerry Mina are more recent casualties, leaving Frank Lampard with serious defensive problems. Spurs ruthlessly exposed them on Monday, hitting five without reply.

The home end

Some views lifted from the pre-match thread on a popular Everton forum.

Crowd should help abit but Sunday at 2 isn’t ideal for generating the type of atmosphere. And we need the crowd to urge our players to get in there faces though as wolves are far more techinical team and will stroll past us if allowed time on the ball/

Didn’t see the Wolves game last night, just the goals this AM. Majority of the goals were absolute gifts from Watford. Given our defence they will probably receive some more gifts Sunday.

Hope Frank is ruthless and Keane and holgate don’t get near the starting 11, or I fear Jimenez and podence will have a field day. All on us in the stands on Sunday and for the rest of the season, we have to make the old girl rock.

Think we win this one 2-1. Wolves will have a short amount of time to rest/recover from tonight’s match. We need to take advantage of that.

Nothing but a win is acceptable here. They’re not all that. Jimenez recently dropped due to poor form. Neto back from about a year out so not fully up to speed yet. No Traore to mince past the whole team before spooning it out for a throw. Play the same team, tactics and formation as we did against City. Rich up front. I wouldn’t start DCL again this season he’s looked that far off it, absolute passenger. Bring him off the bench with 20 to play if we’re struggling. Nervy 2-1 to Everton, we rarely do comfortable.

Wolves

Can Willy Boly and Jonny go again so quickly after last night? If they can, I’d keep them in because they both offered steady reassurance and in the case of Jonny, gave us an added dimension to our attacking play.

And yes, we have to pick Raul Jimenez every week. If he frustrates you for a couple of games, fair enough, but he comes up with the goods eventually. We don’t have anyone to fill the void when he doesn’t play.

Although I can see Dendoncker getting rotated in, I’d stick with the front three because we have to put pressure on that creaking Everton defence. If we play passively and allow them to swarm all over us, I can see it going south.

Last time out

If Watford gave the most pitiful first-half performance we’ve seen from a visiting team to Molineux this season, Everton are a close second. Only Jordan Pickford kept them within two and to their credit they had a good go in the second and nearly snatched a point.

We were doubled last season by the Toffees and the dead rubber right at the end was won by a Richarlison header. The Brazilian has a great record against Wolves, as does Raul against them. Hopefully it’s our man who makes the impact again on Sunday.

The odds

There’s not much to call between the sides according to the bookies. Shop around for the best odds and for a lighter bet try the online casinos and claim free rewards.

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Predictions

Nobody got the 4-0 scoreline against Watford, but plenty of people predicted victory and collected two points.

Brompton Wolf is clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 28.

As always, if you’d like to join in, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

Polite request – when commenting in the preview article after the game has finished, can you not place score predictions in the boxes, please? It confuses the system. Many thanks.