Everton were dealt a cruel last-gasp blow as they fell to a 2-1 defeat in a Boxing Day encounter with Wolves at Goodison Park.
After 45 days since the last Premier League clash, the Blues took less than seven minutes to open the scoring when Yerry Mina nodded in an opener after Dwight McNeil's inviting corner.
But the visitors - in their first league clash under new manager Julen Lopetegui - hit back through Daniel Podence's close-range effort midway through the first half.
Everton shaded this competitive contest throughout but were hit with a devastating counter punch in the final minute of second-half stoppage time when substitute Rayan Aït-Nouri bundled home from close range to snatch all three points for the visitors.
Mina, drafted into Frank Lampard's starting line-up in the absence of Conor Coady who was ineligible to play against his parent club, was one of two changes from the side defeated at Bournemouth last time out, with Anthony Gordon also returning in place of Demarai Gray.
The Colombia international wasted no time in making his presence felt, brushing off his marker before guiding a header home into the corner of the net from McNeil's in-swinging corner to provide Everton with a dream start.
That early strike energised Goodison - highlighted by the volume of the roar for Gordon's crunching challenge on Hugo Bueno seconds after the restart.
But Wolves regained composure and were back on level terms on 22 minutes when, following a training ground corner routine, Ruben Neves lifted the ball back into the danger area, allowing Podence to slot home a simple finish.
The Toffees responded well to that setback, though, and threatened the Wolves goal without being able to apply a clinical finish.
Gordon came closest before the end of the opening period after a superb passage of play, but Sá reacted well to apply a save down low to deny the Everton winger after a defence-splitting pass by Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Everton, again, looked the most likely to go on and win the game in the second half but chances continued to come at a premium.
Both managers rolled the dice in the way of changes as the half wore on. Demarai Gray was the first to be introduced 10 minutes after the interval, before in-form young striker Tom Cannon and Abdoulaye Doucoure were brought on for the closing stages as Lampard chased victory.
Ben Godfrey also came on for his first appearance since suffering a fractured fibula on the opening day of the season as he replaced the injured Mina.
Godfrey went close to notching a winner with eight minutes remaining but, after Gray's free-kick delivery had caused chaos in Wolves' penalty area, the defender's prodded effort was cleared off the line.
Then, in the dying embers with Everton committing men forward, Adama Traore led a counter-attack before Aït-Nouri managed to control the Spaniard's cross and lash in a late, late winner.
Next up for Lampard's side is a trip to The Etihad to take on reigning champions Manchester City on New Year's Eve (3pm GMT kick-off).
