Wolves Fans' Verdict v Everton: Very good day at Goodison

Rob Cartwright

What's your verdict on the match?

We hadn’t won at Goodison Park for 40 years; yet I’ve never been so confident of a win. We’ve had some pretty awesome away days already this season, but this one was up with the best.

Boly came back in, predictably. Unfortunate for Saiss who has done very well.

Wolves carried over their confident stylish play from the West Ham game. In fact, we completely bossed this game, with the exception of just 10 minutes following their equaliser midway through the first half.

Doherty terrorised Baines from the off. Back from injury, he’ll wish he hadn’t bothered and lasted just 37 minutes. He raised his arm and tripped Doherty as he passed him into their box on 6 minutes. Neves calmly scored from the spot.

We were well on top for 20 minutes, when, against the run of play, Gomes scored a great goal from the edge of the box. Gomes was their only stand out player, but to be level now felt very unfortunate.

Wolves were rocked back, but not for long. We got back on top and were looking likely to score when awarded a free kick. With Boly, Bennett and Dendoncker joining Jimenez and Jota in the box it’s fair to say Everton defence had their hands full. Moutinho had plenty of choice and he knew the best option. They had left Jimenez free for the headed goal.

In the second half, Everton enjoyed much possession and did nothing with the ball, hardly ever getting into dangerous positions. They were slow and laborious while Wolves were quick and stylish on the counter attack. You could sense another goal was coming. Midway through the half it came.

Jonny wins possession on the half way line. A few seconds later, Dendoncker volleys into the net. It’s game over, except for two minutes of the entertaining black cat who covered more of the pitch than the Everton midfield had managed.

We didn’t look like conceding again and the last half hour was comfortable. "Easy, Easy, Easy."

Great celebrations on the final whistle, which went on very long and very loud.

Support like this must be great for the players to experience.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

So many players are at the top of their game right now. I think you can put this down to the introduction of Dendoncker in midfield. A slight tweak has made a massive impact to the way we are playing. An agreed fee of £12m is already looking another bargain.

His running and tackling is allowing Neves and Moutinho to have more time on the ball and both can pick a pass from anywhere on the pitch.

Jonny and Doherty were both enjoying plenty of the ball, and when they do we invariably win! Boly slotted back in smoothly after injury. Coady was a man mountain all afternoon.

Jimenez is a fabulous all round forward. He works tirelessly all over the pitch which is clearly what Nuno demands from his forwards. Nothing sums up his performance more than the 45th minute, after a first half where he never stopped running.

He heads the goal to regain the lead. Less than a minute later, he is in our own box heading the ball clear, following an Everton free kick. What a player he is.

Man of the Match is Dendoncker, but it could easily be Doherty, Coady, Moutinho or Jimenez. What a time to be a Wolves fan!

Clive Smith

What's your verdict on the match?

Wi'm gud ay we!' Make no mistake. At Everton, and in our two previous League wins, where we have scored ten goals, can it get any better than this?

Take the end of the WHU game, press pause, rewind thirty minutes and play. That was how we started today, full of energy, running, winning the tackles, passing neatly and looking likely to score all the time. I love this Wolves.

Doherty repeated his dart into the box that he had done on Tuesday, this time the ref acknowledged the foul and Neves made it 1-0 inside ten minutes.

Our front two looked too good for their back two. Our midfield were running the show and our range of passing stretched the game to our benefit. Either side to side, or bang up the middle.

We created chances, Jota had a one on one, Dendoncker too, then Jota another one. So it was quite a blow when a rocket of a shot flew past Patricio and we found ourselves level.

Everton woke up then and matches us until just before half time. At that point our assist-king Moutinho put a free kick onto the head of Jimenez and our lead was restored.

Often you see reference to 'character' when a team comes back from 0-1 or 0-2 to get a result. In the last minute of the half, we defended a set piece. Jimenez was back in our box challenging and winning a header then Jota rushed to close down their wide player and charged down the cross. Great character from our front two, showing a great team ethic. The whole team made sure we went into the break ahead.

The second half promised more of the same as both the Everton centre backs were already on a yellow. Our strength was predominantly in our defence however as we lost Neves almost at once and Saiss came on. Our midfield played deeper and our wing backs were more reserved, but the pace of the front two meant we always had a threat.

Just after an hour that threat proved itself once more. It was the pace of Jota that took him into the box. His effort was blocked but Dendoncker was able to put the rebound into the net. Dendoncker and Saiss have only recently seen some game time, but they both fit well into the team, the squad, and don't look second string.

Our first Premier League adventure was against Everton back in August. We have come a long way since then. Perhaps in those initial games there was a little fear in our inexperienced squad. That is well and truly gone, as we are competitive over ninety plus minutes against anyone.

All of the stats might not show it, but we were the better team in all areas. A joy to see.

it would be remiss of me not to mention the cat that ran onto the pitch during the second half. It sure got some negative comments, and blame, when the board for seven minutes was held up. But it did prompt us to chant to the home fans 'your not fit to keep a cat', which just added to the feel good factor of the day.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Patricio made one block and held some crosses. Had no chance with the goal and was well protected by our defence.

Otto continues to be a box to box wing back. He offered plenty in the attacking half.

Doherty finally wins a pen and had another good game. Seeing plenty of the ball and attacking in the first half while doing his defending day job in the second.

Boly was solid in the air and threw his body in the way when needed. After the opening ten minutes he was calm as ever in possession, even in tight spaces.

A typical Coady performance that did however see him booked and then give another foul away.

Bennett was as dependable as ever, solid, no nonsense game.

Neves looked full of energy and mischief with his passing. He, along with Jota and Jimenez, came in for some rough challenges. No surprise they were the three substituted, Neves through an injury early in the second half.

Dendoncker is looking more comfortable with every game. It's a huge bonus having him getting into the box. With more games his speed of passing might get quicker as it is just a tad slower than his colleagues.

Moutinho was excellent yet again. He covered every blade of grass in that middle third and circulated the ball so quickly and accurately.

Jota was man of the match. He is now playing better and more intelligently than last season. On this form his quick feet makes him a nightmare for defenders.

Jimenez continues to be on top of his game. His control was superb and his energy terrific. His passing could be more consistent around the box but it is improving.

From the bench Saiss played most of the second half, offering additional cover in front of the back five. His height is helpful in winning headers in our box.

Costa and Traore had a few minutes each.

Chris Hughes

What's your verdict on the match?

Nuno, Nuno, Nuno, he’s taking us to Europe, to Europe, to Europe, and that’s the way we like it, we like it, we like it, in fact we... well, you know the rest!

Talk at the start of the season of us gatecrashing the top 7 seemed far-fetched yet here we are, 13 games from the finish line, sitting comfortably in 7th place and seeing off established top flight sides with little fuss.

We were so good in this game that Goodison was two-thirds empty by full-time as many of the home fans headed for an early exit. Other than the thumping finish by Andre Gomes we were rarely threatened, with Patricio having only slightly more to do than against West Ham on Tuesday with an early save from Walcott and another late on to stop a header. Even the appearance of a local black cat couldn’t give Everton enough luck to overcome Nuno’s wizardry.

On to Tuesday’s FA Cup replay we go, looking to keep our dream of a deep run in that competition alive. With our comfortable league position, there’s nothing to stop us fielding a strong line up and dispatching Shrewsbury knowing there’s almost a full week before Newcastle roll into town in the next league game.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Another excellent team performance where everyone contributed. Doherty was exceptional down the right all day. He showed superb skill, pace and strength to get away from Baines early on and draw the foul for the penalty while continuing to bomb on to support attacks even into injury-time with a two-goal advantage.

Raúl and Diogo were again terrific up front and ran the Everton centre backs ragged. Zouma was booked early for hacking down Jimenez and Keane was carded for a cynical pull back of Jota that gave us the free-kick to restore our lead at 2-1 as Raúl neatly headed Moutinho’s delivery past Pickford.

Jota had Seamus Coleman on skates for our third too before his blocked shot fell to Dendoncker to slam the rebound home on the volley. Jota’s pace and direct running caused so much trouble for Keane that you wondered quite how the Everton man manages to get England call-ups. He looked like a budget version of Ryan Bennett but actually cost £30m more, he turns slower than milk and was less mobile than the encroaching cat!

Dendoncker deserved his goal to cap an excellent all round game that should have seen him open his account when Raúl played him in at 1-0 but he shot straight at Pickford.

He made no mistake with his second chance and absolutely put the laces through it. A mention to Jonny for his overall performance but also for his desire to win the ball and break in the build up to the third goal too. His permanent signing is another solid addition to the squad.

Adam Virgo

What's your verdict on the match?

Every Wolves fan is feline good after that win. Best away atmosphere for a long time, we didn’t stop singing all afternoon and even a cat wanted to join in and get involved on the pitch.

We started the game in purr-fect fashion. Doherty pretty much ended Leighton Baines’ career by flicking the ball over his head and then knocking it through his legs to get round him before the former English left back tripped Doc. Even Cafu would have been proud.

Neves calmly dispatched the penalty and we looked value for our lead, playing some sensational football and trying to catch Everton on the break with the wing backs getting a lot of joy. It should have been 2-0 when Dendoncker was through on goal but his shot was too close to Pickford.

Their goal was just a top strike from their best player yesterday in André Gomes. Patricio had no chance with it, defensively we could have done more to stop him but no taking away the quality of the hit.

I was still very confident at 1-1 because we were playing well and looking dangerous on the counter, especially with Jota running at their defence. He should have scored after Coady played a magnificent ball over the top but his touch took it away from him.

We all know what happens when Joao Moutinho is standing over the ball on a free kick or corner. The guy is an assist king at the moment and he needs major respect on his name. Beautiful delivery onto Jimenez’s head, must be all the Pinot he’s been drinking.

Our second half game plan was clear from the off, hit Everton on the counter because they looked suspect at the back.

Keane and Zouma didn’t know how to deal with Jota running in behind and running at them with the ball, all they could do was back off and in the end it cost them when we got the third.

Keane backed off Jota allowing him to cut inside and shoot, good block from Zouma in all fairness but then the Donck whacked in the rebound with a sweet left foot volley. Ridonckulous. Wolves fans in dreamland and the whole away end were loving it. European tour anyone?

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a black cat making darting moves across the pitch, would have loved to see Adama Traore race it. The cat made more runs than Cenk Tosun so I wonder if Marco Silva is looking for a furward to bring in on a free transfer.

We need to keep this momentum going into Tuesday and get the job done against Shrewsbury, they’re 23rd in League One and if we get knocked out at home by them it’ll be slightly embarrassing, regardless of the last few wins. This is one of the best chances in a long time to go far in the FA Cup.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Dendoncker was absolutely everywhere yesterday. Made eight tackles yesterday, did a brilliant job defensively, made bursting runs into the box which the cat copied just after he scored. He’s done a fine job since breaking into the starting XI and his presence along with his defensive qualities it enables Moutinho and Neves to play more freely and they’re all thriving in this midfield trio. Hopefully Neves’ injury is nothing too serious but he didn’t go down the tunnel so that was a slightly pawsitive sign.

Oh Joao Moutinho, he drinks the Pinot, he came from Monaco to Wanderers, he’s 5ft7 plays football heaven, so please don’t take Moutinho away. A Portugeezer if you’ve ever seen one even though you could say that about a lot of our Portuguese players. Five assists in his last three games and he’s becoming a set piece king.

His ability and achievements sometimes go unnoticed and maybe don’t get recognised as much due to the teams he’s played in having huge ‘stars’ such as Mbappe, Mendy, Falcao etc at Monaco and then in Portugal the likes of Ronaldo, Figo, Pepe and Rui Costa. I genuinely think Moutinho deserves more respect on his name and he’s proving that even at 32, he makes it look easily in the Premier League.

Raul Jimenez now has 11 goals in all competitions along with a number of assists. I can’t see us not signing him in the summer, he clearly loves it in Wolverhampton and everyone in Wolverhampton loves him. Another great performance from him, he seems to be getting better and better and his partnership with Diogo Jota is telepathic. Also, his no look 40 yard pass to Doherty in the first half was ridiculous.

Onto Diogo Jota, full of energy and determination yesterday. No goal but his performance was top drawer. Had the beating of Zouma and Keane all afternoon and when he ran in behind, they had no answers. He’s full of confidence and at his best he’s a scarily good player.

Defensively we were sound all afternoon and their goal was just a class strike. Coady the pick of the centre halves, leading the team properly and constantly giving out instructions. Played a number of perfect balls out wide and over the top, the one to Jota in the first half being the pick of the bunch.

Both wing backs had a lot of joy, Everton didn’t do anywhere near enough to stop them. Jonny seems to be improving his game going forward all the time, £15m is an absolute steal for him in today’s market.

Doherty has been brilliant for us all season and is continuing that. Did fantastically well to beat Leighton Baines and win the penalty and defensively he was sound against Richarlison who caused him a few problems the first time we played them.

Patricio had nothing to do really apart from a smart save in the first half off a Walcott shot. Had no chance for André Gomes’ goal.

Natalie Wood

What's your verdict on the match?

This season is starting to become quite unbelievable, we are really starting to find our game now and it turns out we are really really good! Everton were again going to be another tough challenge but yesterdays performance shows how far we have come from that opening day draw.

One of the many things I love about this wolves team at the moment is how we start each game so positively, always looking to attack and push forward. Everton had the majority of the ball in the opening few minutes (and for most of the game) but we were the ones doing something each time we did get the ball. We have had a fair few shouts for a penalty in the last few games but none as clear as the one begot given yesterday. Doherty was on another one of his fantastic runs and the only way to stop him was to bring him down. Doherty and Jonny are both becoming a real set of weapons for, they both read the game really well and are a real handful for defenders, the Everton defence really struggled to control them both all game. Neves scored a great penalty, a real confident borderline cocky finish which just showed he really is starting to settle in the premier league now.

It was all wolves for most of the first half, with a few more really great chances. Jota especially looked sharp but was just missing that final touch. Dendoncker also had a great chance to double our lead but shot straight at Pickford. We were in complete control but Everton had to have a chance at some point and boy did they take it. Their equaliser was a great goal, not deserved at all though! Going into the break 1-1 would’ve felt unfair, we really deserved to be leading 2 or even 3 by this point. Again though Wolves didn’t let the equaliser stop their game and almost instantly we were back on the attack. Evertons defence was really messy all game, their game plan seemed to be just hack them down at any opportunity….it didn’t work. Jota was wiped out for the 43 time for a free kick in a good position. Mouthinho floated in a perfect free kick right onto the head of our perfect Mexican! Great finish by Jimenez but awful awful defending by Everton!

The second half started slightly worryingly as Neves hobbled off but Saiss as a replacement brought a bit of extra defensive cover. It is all fine as long as it was just a knock!!

The fact that the most exciting part of the half was a cat just about sums it up! Everton had a lot of more the ball but didn’t really do anything of note. Wolves continued to look very comfortable so it wasn’t really a surprise when we scored our third. Jimenez won the ball back well before playing through to Jota whose shot was blocked before Dendoncker finished superbly. It seems Everton fans misunderstood the rules as they seemed to think the game was over now we had scored three goals…..the stadium was half empty by 70 minutes - bizarre.

Who played well – and who didn't impress?

Yet again there were so many options for man of the match, it was another fantastic team performance. For me the stand out players were again Jimenez and Jota who are becoming quite a partnership, another superb performance by them both. Moutinho yet again but in a star performance, he won the ball back and set us forward at any opportunity.

My man of the match though would be Dendoncker. I feel like he has been flying a bit under the radar since coming into the team but what a player he is becoming.

I wouldn’t say it is just a coincidence that since he came into the team Neves is now flying. He frees Moutinho and Neves up to do what they do best, he made important challenges before firing himself upfield and making a real impact up front. I think we may have a new fan hero- long live the Donck!

Russ Evers

What's your verdict on the match?

Still rubbish in the winter then ? Another team torn to pieces where with a bit of luck the margin of victory could have been far greater. If there is a better midfielder anywhere at present than Moutinho then he must be something special and great to see another goal from our Scottish striker Jimmy Nez.

Better individually all over the pitch and Nuno has got this lot purring louder than Everton's best player on the day-the black cat. What a time to be a Wolves fan. Magic.