8 March 2025
Wolves 1 Everton 1
Wolves welcomed Everton to Molineux as the two teams sat above the relegation zone met. Since David Moyes had returned to Goodison Park, he had managed to change their fortunes and make Premier League safety a reality. Before this game even kicked off, The Toffees sat ten points ahead of the hosts, making it a must-win game for Vitor Pereira’s side.
Pereira’s side were missing their most important player as Cunha was serving a ban for a moment of madness recently that saw him sent off. It could not have come at a worse time of the season and left Wolves needing to find a way to win without his creativity. The hosts still had a five point gap to the side below them but that could all change so quickly.
The hosts were almost the architects of their own downfall early on. They gifted the ball to the visitors as The Toffees looked to pass their way through the Wolves’ defence. Mykolenko drilled a low cross into the box, which Doucoure managed to get under control. As he let rip with a shot, Agbadou got an important block to send it wide for a corner.
As the cross came in, Branthwaite flicked it on at the near post but it was deflected over the crossbar. Harrison took the next one short, getting a better angle to put a teasing, curling ball into the box. Beto had the chance to steer it past the keeper but completely missed it, allowing Jose Sa to make a routine save to take the pressure off his team.
It was one-way traffic early on but Wolves soon managed to venture forward. Ait-Nouri was causing problems and looked to shoot from the edge of the box. The Toffees did well to close him down to deflect the effort wide for a corner. As the cross came in, Munetsi rose to head goalwards but Pickford reacted well to block with his legs.
Neither side were covering themselves in glory as a defensive force. Lindstrom received the ball in the final third and sprayed a pass out wide to Harrison. The Toffees’ winger looked to get a left-footed shot off but it took a big deflection off Doherty and flew into the far corner with Jose Sa beaten. It was the slice of luck Moyes’ side needed to break the deadlock.
While the Everton winger was credited with the goal, as the replay suggested, his initial shot was going nowhere near the target. It is only a wonder that it was given to him in the first place. Not that he was bothered, it had given his team a vital lead in this pivotal match. Victory at Molineux would all but guarantee another season in the top-flight.
The visitors’ lead sadly only lasted for all of seven minutes. Toti Gomes played a pass into Bellegarde, who spotted the run of Munetsi. He played a perfectly-weighted ball into the middle for the striker to slide onto and send past Pickford into the far corner. It was his first goal for Wolves in the Premier League and he may not score a more important one as the sides headed in at the break level.
That said, he didn’t manage to make it for the second-half due to a slight injury. Wolves seemed to have a renewed confidence after their equaliser. The hosts manage to win a free-kick and it was taken by Sarabia, who had replaced him. The effort had Pickford scrambling across his goal as it brushed the side netting and went wide.
Sarabia was providing the creativity for Wolves as he slotted a ball into Strand Larsen in the box. Despite the tight angle, he got a shot away that forced Pickford into another save. Molineux was rocking as they felt this game was there for the taking at this point. Everton looked a different team from the one who had controlled large chunks of the first period.
Suddenly a move broke down for the hosts and Alcaraz ran clear with the ball. Wolves were struggling to get numbers back and he waited until the right moment to play it into the path of Beto. The Portuguese striker got a shot off but it was well saved by Jose Sa to keep his side on level terms. This game could go either way as both teams threw caution to the wind.
The hosts then gave the ball away, deep in their own half. The Toffees came forward as desperate tackles flew in to prevent shots at goal. It broke to Alcaraz, who executed a perfect Cruyff turn to send the defender to the shops. He got a left-footed shot away but it was straight at Jose Sa, who gathered at the second attempt.
Neither side could find that winning goal so the points were shared at Molineux. The Toffees are now unbeaten in eight games, Moyes’ longest run as a manager since his last stint with the Merseyside outfit. The point moves Wolves six points away from Ipswich Town in the final relegation spot to make them believe safety is definitely in their own hands.
That is the main focus for both teams now, securing their Premier League status for the next campaign. Once they have done that, they can write this season off as a poor one that needs to be improved upon. More importantly for Everton, they can then look forward to playing in their new stadium with top-flight football assured.
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