Rayan Ait-Nouri scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Wolves came from behind to win at fellow strugglers Everton and move off the bottom of the Premier League.
In manager Julen Lopetegui’s first league match in charge of the club, Wolves had fallen behind early when Yerry Mina glanced Dwight McNeil’s near-post corner into the net.
However, they levelled midway through the first period from a well-worked corner routine with Daniel Podence calmly sliding the ball past home goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from Joao Moutinho’s lobbed pass to the back post.
It was no more than the visitors deserved in an entertaining encounter but one in which the attacking shortcomings of both sides came into focus.
Idrissa Gueye’s incisive pass to Anthony Gordon should have allowed the hosts to regain the lead but the Everton winger was superbly denied by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa, while Neal Maupay twice failed to capitalise from promising positions.
It was far from from one-way traffic though, Wolves forward Diego Costa was unable to get enough power on a diving header to beat Pickford, who also repelled Hugo Bueno’s placed effort after the break.
And while Everton saw Ben Godfrey’s late effort hacked to safety by Ruben Neves, Wolves went up the other end in the 95th minute to claim a valuable victory, with Ait-Nouri turning the ball past Pickford from Adama Traore’s cross.
The win took Wolves up to 18th, a place below Everton who have now lost their past four games.
More to follow.
Player of the match
Aït-NouriRayan Aït-Nouri
Everton
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Squad number3Player namePatterson
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Squad number13Player nameMina
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Squad number19Player nameMykolenko
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Squad number2Player nameTarkowski
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Squad number1Player namePickford
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Squad number17Player nameIwobi
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Squad number8Player nameOnana
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Squad number27Player nameGueye
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Squad number11Player nameGray
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Squad number22Player nameGodfrey
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Squad number7Player nameMcNeil
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Squad number10Player nameGordon
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Squad number47Player nameCannon
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Squad number20Player nameMaupay
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Squad number16Player nameDoucouré
Wolverhampton Wanderers
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Squad number3Player nameAït-Nouri
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Squad number10Player nameDaniel Podence
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Squad number37Player nameTraoré
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Squad number8Player nameRúben Neves
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Squad number28Player nameJoão Moutinho
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Squad number1Player nameJosé Sá
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Squad number27Player nameMatheus Nunes
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Squad number59Player nameHodge
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Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo
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Squad number24Player nameToti
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Squad number64Player nameBueno
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Squad number23Player nameKilman
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Squad number29Player nameDiego Costa
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Squad number11Player nameHwang Hee-chan
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Squad number17Player nameGonçalo Guedes
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Squad number4Player nameCollins
Line-ups
Everton
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Pickford
- 3PattersonBooked at 38mins
- 13MinaSubstituted forGodfreyat 76′minutes
- 2Tarkowski
- 19Mykolenko
- 17Iwobi
- 8Onana
- 27GueyeSubstituted forDoucouréat 83′minutes
- 10Gordon
- 20MaupaySubstituted forCannonat 83′minutes
- 7McNeilSubstituted forGrayat 56′minutes
Substitutes
- 4Holgate
- 11Gray
- 15Begovic
- 16Doucouré
- 22Godfrey
- 23Coleman
- 26Davies
- 29Vinagre
- 47Cannon
Wolves
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Sá
- 22Nélson Semedo
- 4Collins
- 23KilmanBooked at 64mins
- 64BuenoSubstituted forAït-Nouriat 59′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 59HodgeSubstituted forNunesat 59′minutes
- 8NevesBooked at 79mins
- 28João MoutinhoSubstituted forGomesat 78′minutesBooked at 81mins
- 11Hwang Hee-chanSubstituted forTraoréat 60′minutes
- 29Diego CostaBooked at 90mins
- 10PodenceBooked at 61minsSubstituted forGonçalo Guedesat 73′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Aït-Nouri
- 9Jiménez
- 13Sarkic
- 17Gonçalo Guedes
- 24Gomes
- 25Ronan
- 27Nunes
- 37Traoré
- 81Lembikisa
- Referee:
- Craig Pawson
- Attendance:
- 39,252
Live Text
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Match ends, Everton 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2.
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Second Half ends, Everton 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2.
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Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
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Goal! Everton 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 2. Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.
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Nathan Patterson (Everton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Dangerous play by Gonçalo Guedes (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Attempt blocked. James Tarkowski (Everton) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Demarai Gray with a cross.
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Hand ball by Diego Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Diego Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card.
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James Tarkowski (Everton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Diego Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
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Foul by Nathan Patterson (Everton).
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Gonçalo Guedes (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Attempt missed. Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.
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Foul by Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton).
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Adama Traoré (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Attempt missed. Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Alex Iwobi with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Ben Godfrey (Everton) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Thomas Cannon.
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Attempt blocked. Anthony Gordon (Everton) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Substitution, Everton. Abdoulaye Doucouré replaces Idrissa Gueye.
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