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Wolves Get Lucky Against The Toffees

The Premier League returned with a bang on Friday night, and yesterday, things kept rolling as every single Saturday game had an interesting twist or two – but perhaps, none more so than at Molineux. Wolverhampton Wanderers were able to scrape a draw against ten-man Everton, in a game that highlighted both the pros and cons that are still associated with the Midlands side as they continue to be one of the most talked about teams in all of European football.

The pre-match celebrations were fantastic as Wolves celebrated their return to the top flight in style, showcasing that they are a Premier League club from top to bottom after many years away from the big time. When the game finally got underway, however, it was obvious to see that they were a little bit nervous, with the Toffees showcasing their class and dominance on the ball throughout. It didn’t take long for them to take the lead, either, with new signing Richarlison poking the ball home after a major scramble inside the box.

Wolves slowly began to push forward but still appeared to be panicking on the ball, until they were gifted a route back into the game when Phil Jagielka took down Diogo Jota just outside of the penalty box.

The Englishman was sent off without too many complaints, and from the resulting free-kick, Portuguese sensation Ruben Neves managed to catch Jordan Pickford off guard by curling his shot beautifully into the top corner. Wolves were off and running, but the half-time whistle seemed to kill their momentum just a few minutes later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjQ4ysAOeD0

After the interval, you wouldn’t have been able to tell that the Toffees had a man less than the hosts, with Wolves struggling to break them down – and eventually, with just under 25 minutes remaining, Richarlison walked through the Wanderers defence before slotting in his second of the day. It seemed as if that’d be all she wrote until Raul Jimenez popped up with a header with ten minutes remaining, ensuring that Wolves had something to show for their Premier League return.

This encounter certainly served as a learning curve for both teams as they begin their EPL journey this season, and it’s clear to see that Wolves will eventually grow into their new status as a top-flight side. They’ll have to adjust pretty quickly, though, with tough games against Leicester and Manchester City on the horizon.

Everton, on the other hand, look like a really handy team who could do some damage – so long as they avoid the silly little mistakes that have plagued them for so many years now. Jagielka likely won’t be returning to the starting line-up one way or another, regardless of whether or not he’d made that error, and it’s now time for the club to move into a new era under Marco Silva.

They’ll now turn their attention towards their first Premier League game at Goodison Park this season when they face a Southampton side who will open their campaign against Burnley later today.