Everton 0-1 Wolves
by James Nalton
at Goodison Park

A CONOR COADY goal and a Jonjoe Kenny red card saw Everton’s life in the lower reaches of the Premier League table become even more uncomfortable.

The result meant Wolves kept in touch with the teams challenging for European places, but Everton have now gone four league games without scoring.

Frank Lampard’s side have the benefit of a few games in hand on those around the relegation zone, but on this showing, there are no signs they will get anything from them.

The home side did show some fight in the first half. Captain Seamus Coleman was involved in an altercation with Joao Moutinho while Jordan Pickford and Daniel Podence clashed in the area at a corner, but these were isolated incidents outside the football itself.

There was nothing to show at the end of this first-half effort, even though there were a couple of half-chances.

Mykolenko’s pass from deep sent Richarlison through on goal, but his effort was saved by Jose Sa. The Wolves keeper was called into action again to save from Demarai Gray who stormed into the box to connect with Coleman’s pass.

It was an otherwise unremarkable half of football, but that was to change in the second period.

Coady got on the end of an excellent Moutinho cross after Everton failed to clear an initial set-piece. The former Liverpool youth player rose between Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey to head past Pickford with just four minutes gone in the half.

Raul Jimenez could have made it two moments later. He found space between Kenny and Richarlison as a Moutinho free-kick flew into the area, but the Mexican’s volley went wide.

Lampard changed things up, switching from the back five that had started the game to a back four as Dele Alli replaced Mykolenko.

A restless Goodison Park urged the team on, but groans could be heard whenever their side took a needless backwards step, which happened regularly.

The formation change didn’t help Everton. Wolves regularly found large spaces in midfield with Moutinho and Neves showing their combination of experience and quality.

Despite needing a goal to get back into the game, the Toffees often found themselves on the back foot. A second for the visitors looked more likely than an equaliser.

The sun shone through in the old stadium's right side where Anthony Gordon continued to be Everton’s bright spark, but even he couldn’t ignite a comeback.
 

Even the first half fight seemed to have gone. A lack of organisation leading to fatigue, perhaps.

Jimenez was able to play flick-ons and link up with the buzzing Podence, often under no real pressure.

The one time he was challenged, Kenny careered into him and having been booked minutes earlier for a foul on Jonny, was duly shown a second yellow card followed by a red.

It leaves Everton one place above the relegation zone, level on points with Watford who won at Southampton but four points behind Leeds who defeated Norwich. 

Three games in hand on each may be enough to pull them out of this mess, but their goalscoring struggles don’t inspire confidence.

Boos rang out around Goodison on the final whistle, and smaller pockets of discontent even greeted the players as they applauded the supporters at the end of the game.

Everton host Newcastle on Thursday night as they begin to make up these games in hand. It’s another chance for them to show they have the potential to progress under Lampard as their opponents have under Eddie Howe, but there were no signs of improvement here.