A huge game at Molineux on Sunday could have seen the Toffees put themselves within touching distance of survival and maintain a gap between themselves at the bottom three. Their hosts have already secured safety, and would look to continue their good form against Julen Lopetegui.
WOL: Bentley, Semedo, Dawson, Collins, T.Gomes, Traore, Neves, J.Gomes, Podence, Sarabia, Hwang
EVE: Pickford, Mina, Tarkowski, Patterson, McNeil, Garner, Onana, Gueye, Iwobi, Doucoure, Calvert-Lewin
A largely quiet opening 25 minutes saw Dominic Calvert-Lewin have the best of the half-chances, but he failed to take them. Wolves looked lively down their right wing, with the use of Adama Traore seemingly a cheat code against a makeshift left-back in McNeil.
It was Wolves who took the lead though, as Adama Traore picked up the ball on the edge of his own box before driving to the other end of the pitch and unleashing an effort which Pickford saved well, but Hwang was on hand to tap the rebound into an empty net.
Two huge blows for Everton in the first-half saw injuries for Nathan Patterson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with both forced off before the interval. It had truly been a nightmare half for the Toffees, as they found themselves trailing at the break having lost two key players.
Wolves had the first two big chances of the second half within a minute of each other – Pablo Sarabia whipped an effort just wide of Pickford’s right post, followed by Nelson Semedo smashing an effort marginally wide of the opposite upright. Wolves began to take control, with the Toffees looking shell-shocked from the first half. Everton substitute Demarai Gray had Everton’s first chance of the second half, cutting inside and forcing an effort down the throat of the ‘keeper.
With the lack of options on the bench, Everton were forced to play with centre-back Michael Keane joining Neal Maupay up front as time ticked away for the Toffees. It was very bold thinking from Dyche, as Evertonians become desperate for the equaliser.
Matheus Nunes almost put the game to bed in stoppage time – but Pickford denied him one-on-one.
There was unbelievable drama at the end though – it looked like Wolves had managed to hold on for a win, until Yerry Mina stabbed in an equaliser in the last second to snatch a point for the Toffees. It’s a huge point for Everton in the end, as they put a little more daylight between themselves and the drop zone, but the battle for survival will go to the final day. It is over to Leeds and Leicester to see if they can make up any ground on the Toffees, but it is certainly going right to the wire.
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