Everton host Wolves on matchday 3 of the Premier League with both teams occupying the bottom two spots in the table. Sean Dyche’s Everton were drubbed 4-0 last time out against Aston Villa away from home in an overall defensive disaster for the Toffees. They suffered another blow as Dominic Calvert Lewin had to be subbed off due to a facial injury further increasing Dyche’s woes.
Wolves on the other hand were also subject to a 4-1 defeat against table toppers Brighton and Hove Albion as Matheus Nunes was sent off in the dying minutes of the game making it an afternoon to forget for their new manager Gary O’Neil.
The game is crucial for both sides to get off to winning ways after a winless start by both the teams to the season.
When and Where?
Date: 26th August,2023.
Time: 14:00 HRS GMT.
Venue: Goodison Park.
Match Officials
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Assistants: Marc Perry, Steve Meredith.
Fourth official: James Linington.
VAR: Graham Scott.
Assistant VAR: Wade Smith.
Team News
Dominic Calvert Lewin will miss the game after picking up the cheekbone fracture keeping him out of action for a few weeks. Alex Iwobi had to be subbed off in the last game after a minor hamstring issue and remains a doubt for the hosts. Andre Gomes and new signing Youssef Chermiti are in contention to start after missing the previous game. Dele Alli, Seamus Coleman, Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will also be unavailable for Sean Dyche as they nurse their respective injuries.
Matheus Nunes’ suspension means he will be the only absentee for the Wolves with Gary O’Neil having Pablo Sarabia as the perfect backup to replace the Portuguese in the starting XI. Sasa Kalajdzic got minutes off the bench as the Austrian continues his recovery to full match fitness after suffering a season-ending injury last season.
Match Analysis
Everton have played in a 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 hybrid system this season during the first couple of games which isn’t the usual 4-4-2 Brexit football Dyche is known to play. Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure have been deployed in the midfield who are three workhorses Dyche uses effectively to work relentlessly on and off the ball. The main problem is lying in attack for the Toffees though as they have failed to score a single goal so far. The injury to Calvert Lewin further piles on the misery and they will have to find an attacking solution if they are to win against Wolves. Arnaut Danjuma and Neil Maupay are the only attacking reinforcements the Toffees have in their roster and the duo will have to step up against a leaky Wolves defence.
Gary O’Neil has continued the same system which he played when he was in charge of AFC Bournemouth last season. Having scored just 1 goal in the opening two games which was a Hwang Hee Chan consolation against Brighton, Wolves will need to create more chances and convert them if they are to stand any chance of beating Everton.
It promises to be an interesting game with both sides vying to take all 3 points and start building momentum. Both the sides were in the relegation scrap last season and survived which would be a situation both the sides would not want to go through again this season.
Key Players
Amadou Onana
The Belgian has been a key cog in the Everton midfield with his effective ball retention skills and dribbling. He has been crucial for Dyche ever since he took over and will once again be a player to look out for against Wolves. He is averaging 2.5 per 90, 1.23 interceptions per 90 and 2.20 aerials won per 90 in the first two games he has played for his side. Though both the games ended in defeat, Onana’s individual performances have been a silver lining for the Toffees’ faithful.
Predicted XIs
Everton (4-3-3): Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Keane, Patterson, Gueye, Onana, Doucoure, Danjuma, Maupay, Garner.
Wolves (4-4-1-1): Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait Nouri, Neto, Gomes, Lemina, Sarabia, Cunha, Silva.
