Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers shared a point at Hill Dickinson Stadium on a night when the football finally erupted into life late on. Michael Keane’s early goal put David Moyes’s side in control, but teenage forward Mateus Mané continued his breakthrough spell for Wolves with a composed second-half equaliser before the hosts finished with nine men after the dismissals of Keane and Jack Grealish.
Bottom club Wolves, revitalised under Rob Edwards after finally recording their first league win of the season against West Ham United, were anaemic before the interval but stirring after it. Their revival almost brought an unlikely victory when Hugo Bueno’s stoppage-time drive drew a magnificent save from Jordan Pickford, leaving Everton both relieved and frustrated at a 1-1 draw that denied them a place in the top half of the table.
Everton settle nerves as Keane punishes fragile Wolves defending
With apprehension hanging over Hill Dickinson Stadium after Sunday’s emphatic home defeat by Brentford, Everton badly needed a composed start. Moyes entrusted 18-year-old Harrison Armstrong with his first Premier League start after recalling the forward from a productive loan spell at Preston on New Year’s Day, and the youngster repaid that faith with an assured, energetic display from the outset. His sharp movement to the back post created the game’s first clear opportunity when Tim Iroegbunam volleyed wide from Ladislav Krejci’s defensive header, a miss that hinted at Everton’s early command.