Grealish’s craft edges a frenetic Molineux as Everton outlast Wolves 3-2

Jack Grealish delivered another commanding performance to guide Everton past Wolves in a breathless 3-2 at Molineux. The Everton No 18 set up two goals and was the architect of the other, his influence defining a contest that swung between his team’s attacking verve and late anxiety as Wolves rallied.

Beto’s early header was cancelled out by Hwang Hee-chan before Iliman Ndiaye restored Everton’s lead, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s thumping strike after half-time looked to have settled it. Rodrigo Gomes’s response kept the finale on edge, with Jordan Pickford required to save from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Gomes then dragging an added-time chance inches wide. Everton held on for a deserved win that showcased their renewed fluency—and the league’s in-form creator.

A whirlwind opening and an instant Wolves reply

Everton struck after seven minutes, a move that underlined the clarity of their attacking patterns. Vitalii Mykolenko’s cross was nodded cleverly back across goal by Grealish for Beto to head in from close range, the forward rewarding his recall with a poacher’s finish. It was Grealish’s third assist in two league games and a sign of how quickly he has found rhythm in David Moyes’s system.

Wolves answered against the run of play on 21 minutes. Starting in place of the injured Jørgen Strand Larsen, Hwang Hee-chan produced a precise, composed finish that briefly lifted the home crowd. Vítor Pereira had recently defended the Korean publicly; here, Hwang justified selection with a moment that hinted at the cutting edge Wolves have been seeking.

Grealish the conductor, the combinations the difference

The half’s decisive moment again flowed through Grealish. His disguised reverse pass released Dewsbury-Hall into space to slide a square ball for Iliman Ndiaye, who swept home from close range for 2-1. Ndiaye marked it with a wolf pose in front of the South Bank; referee Michael Oliver, unlike an earlier incident in the player’s career, kept his card in his pocket.

After the break the pattern continued. Grealish dabbed the ball inside and Dewsbury-Hall arrowed a left-footed strike in off the woodwork for 3-1—his first since joining from Chelsea for about £28m. The sequence took Grealish to four Premier League assists in two starts, already eclipsing his last two seasons’ combined league assist tally at Manchester City. Everton’s front unit purred, with Idrissa Gueye snapping into duels and even Beto throwing in a confident dummy as passing lanes opened.

Wolves’ late surge and the thin margins at the death

To their credit, Wolves raised the temperature. Rodrigo Gomes came off the bench to volley in and stir belief for a rousing last act. Moyes admitted his team’s defending loosened—“a bit scary near the end” was his frank summation—as Everton’s earlier control ceded to clearance work and game management.

Pickford preserved the lead by parrying Bellegarde’s effort, Gomes missing the rebound to groans around Molineux. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Gomes then shot inches wide of the far post. Those moments were the difference between a salvage job and another empty afternoon for the hosts.

Trajectories laid bare: a reborn creator and a restless home crowd

Everton’s improvement is tangible: three straight wins across league and cup, four victories in six away league matches, and a climb to fifth on the day. Grealish, serenaded by the travelling support and substituted to a standing ovation on 88 minutes, earned Player of the Match. Moyes praised him as “better than I thought,” adding that the player “probably needs a bit of love and attention” and, crucially, games—elements he is receiving and repaying.

For Wolves, the story is more troubling. Pointless after three matches and with just one point from their past seven league games including last season, fans voiced their frustration with chants of “Back the team or sell the club.” Pereira lamented a lack of “tactical maturity,” and reiterated the need for reinforcements—at least two, especially in attack, plus competition in midfield. With key departures (Matheus Cunha, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Nelson Semedo cited as losses) and Strand Larsen sidelined, the squad looks thin. The international break offers time to reset before a daunting run that includes Newcastle and Tottenham.