Rally stirs Molineux but Wolves pay for lapses in 3-2 defeat to Everton

Wolves finally found a cutting edge and the fight to rattle Everton, yet left Molineux empty-handed. Hwang Hee-chan’s precise equaliser and Rodrigo Gomes’s late strike lit a path to a point, only for narrow margins and earlier defensive looseness to decide a 3-2 loss.

In a game shaped by Jack Grealish’s creativity, Wolves were often chasing. But when Pereira’s side raised the tempo, they had Everton wobbling: Pickford had to repel Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Gomes went within inches in stoppage time. The response showed character; the challenge is to translate that spirit into results.

Hwang shows the way back and lifts the mood

The start was bruising—Beto headed Everton in front after seven minutes from Grealish’s knock-back of a Mykolenko cross. Yet Wolves struck back on 21 minutes when Hwang, starting for the injured Jørgen Strand Larsen, guided in a composed finish. It was the moment the home crowd needed, validating Pereira’s recent public faith in the forward.

That equaliser arrived against the run of play but briefly shifted momentum. Molineux responded, and Wolves’ wide players found better positions between Everton’s lines. The equaliser felt like a platform; the frustration is how quickly it slipped away.

Punished by Grealish’s guile at key moments

Everton’s second came from a disguised Grealish pass that freed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to square for Iliman Ndiaye to finish at close range. Ndiaye’s “wolf” celebration in front of the South Bank drew smiles and a watchful eye from referee Michael Oliver—no card this time. The third, five minutes after the restart, was another clean Everton move: Grealish teed up Dewsbury-Hall, whose left-footer kissed the woodwork on its way in.

These moments underlined the fine line Wolves walk without their full attacking options and after significant departures. With Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri gone (and Nelson Semedo cited as a loss), Pereira’s side lacks margin for error. Breaks in shape were punished ruthlessly by opponents who, with Grealish in this form, need few chances to separate a game.

Gomes ignites belief, but decisive chances slip away

Rodrigo Gomes’s introduction changed the tone. His volleyed finish gave Molineux a surge of belief and reeled Everton back towards their own box. Possession became more aggressive, long diagonals found targets, and second balls fell Wolves’ way as the visitors retreated to protect their lead.

The late sequence could have delivered a point: Pickford saved from Bellegarde, Gomes missed the rebound, and in the fourth minute of stoppage time the substitute dragged another effort inches wide. On another day, those breaks go the other side of the post.

Pereira’s verdict and the road ahead

Pereira spoke of “tactical maturity” and admitted it will be a tough season without reinforcements. He wants at least two additions—especially in attack—and competition in midfield. The club intends to keep Strand Larsen, while interest in Genk’s Tolu Arokodare has been noted as Wolves work towards the deadline.

The mood was raw, encapsulated by chants of “Back the team or sell the club.” Wolves are still without a point after three games and have taken just one point from their past seven league matches including last season. The international break offers a reset before a testing return: a trip to Newcastle on 13 September and a stretch that, as last season’s experience showed, will demand improvement quickly—especially with Champions League clubs Newcastle and Tottenham on the near horizon.