Everton Turn On The Style In Fine 4-0 Wolves Win

Much of the talk beforehand was how much Everton needed a result ahead of a flurry of fixtures against Champions League-chasers – and they duly delivered with a fine 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison.

Ashley Young put the wheels in motion with a 10^th-minute opener, sliding home a 20-yard free-kick to become the Blues’ oldest-ever scorer at the age of 39 years and five months.

After seeing a James Tarkowski header ruled out for Orel Mangala being offside, the Belgium international made amends with his first Toffees goal just past the half-hour mark, blasting home a rebound from the edge of the area.

The match was effectively sealed early into the second half when Craig Dawson headed past his own keeper under pressure from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

And it was a similar story for Everton’s fourth on 72 minutes as Wolves’ centre-back got the key touch beyond Jose Sa, with the Blues striker breathing down his neck again.

The crucial win – Everton’s biggest home victory since April 2019 – put Sean Dyche’s men five points clear of the relegation zone and in high spirits heading into Saturday’s final Merseyside derby at Goodison.

Calvert-Lewin and Mangala returned to the Blues’ starting line-up as two changes from the side that lost at Manchester United three days earlier.

Calvert-Lewin was preferred to Beto to lead the Toffees’ attack, while Mangala partnered Gana in a reshuffled midfield that saw Doucoure playing a more advanced central role, with McNeil and Ndiaye on the flanks.

Having got two Under-21s matches under his belt in recent weeks as part of his recovery from a foot injury, Armando Broja was named in a Senior Men’s Team matchday squad for the first time since his summer transfer deadline day loan move from Chelsea.

Wolves threatened with barely a minute on the clock when Rayan Ait-Nouri chased a through ball down the left flank and cut into the area for Jorgen Strand Larsen to miscue his finish.

And the visitors went close again six minutes later, Larsen squaring to Matheus Cunha to try his luck from 20 yards out with a stringing drive that Jordan Pickford needed to palm away.

Having struggled to get a foothold in the game, Everton took the lead on 10 minutes. Calvert-Lewin was barged down just outside the area as he tried to play in Doucoure. And when referee Michael Salisbury brought play back for the free-kick, Young took full advantage from the set piece, curling a pinpoint low effort beyond Jose Sa and into the bottom right-hand corner.It was Young’s 50^th Premier League goal and, at the age of 39 years and five months, he became the Club’s oldest-ever scorer.

The Blues thought they had another six minutes later, Calvert-Lewin winning another free-kick, this time wide right 30 yards out. McNeil swung in the cross for Tarkowski to head home. However, celebrations were cut short when Salisbury was called over to the monitor by VAR, deciding to rule out the effort because Mangala had been in an offside position when the free-kick came in.

Tails up, Everton nearly put that right moments later, McNeil threading a fine through ball into the path of Calvert-Lewin who was denied by Sa at point-blank range.

A flowing move from left to right then ended with Young caressing a teasing pass across the six-yard box that somehow eluded a blue shirt from applying the finish.

Having been fortunate not to be 2-0 down, Wolves were nearly level on the half hour, Matt Doherty being picked out on the right flank and volleying across goal for Larsen but, to the relief of Evertonians, the Norwegian could not find the finish.

That proved costly as the Toffees did double their advantage three minutes later. When Wolves cleared McNeil’s free-kick from the right, Mykolenko’s volley was blocked but only as far as Mangala who blasted home from the edge of the area courtesy of a slight deflection.

As the half drew to a close, McNeil saw his well-struck half-volley from 25 yards out deflected over the bar and, from the corner, the left-footer whipped in to the far post for Tarkowski to plant a header into the arms of Sa.

Everton may have been slow out of the blocks in the first half but there was nothing sluggish about their opening to the second as they made it 3-0 on 49 minutes.

Having caused havoc with his set pieces all night, McNeil was at it again with a looping corner to the six-yard box that Calvert-Lewin rose to meet with Dawson getting the final touch for an own goal past Sa.

Dyche’s men has the ball in the back of the net for a fifth time of the night on 65 minutes after Sa failed to collect Young’s cross under pressure from Calvert-Lewin, with Ndiaye tucking home the loose ball. However, another effort was chalked off with referee Salisbury ruling Everton’s No.9 had fouled Wolves’ keeper.

There was to be no denying Calvert-Lewin seven minutes later, though. Well, kind of. When Ndiaye was hacked down wide right, McNeil was the set-piece creator again, lofting in a cross for the big striker to nod home, with Dawson getting a crucial touch that meant the defender’s second own goal of the contest.

Ndiaye had time to get Goodison rocking with a mazy run from the left that ended with the silky Senegalese lashing a shot that was deflected over the bar, before Broja was handed his Everton debut with seven minutes remaining.

And the Albania international showed glimpses of his talent as he set up fellow substitute Jack Harrison twice in quick succession.

It should have been 5-0 in the dying seconds, too, as Broja cut back for Harrison, the forward blasting over from eight yards out.

That did little to dampen a crucial victory for Everton, though, that puts them in buoyant mood ahead of the last-ever Merseyside derby at the Grand Old Lady.