(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Wolves - Everton

The final game of the calendar year. 2023 has seen its fair share of ups and downs, twists and turns. Legendary names have departed, new heroes have begun to emerge. Just five losses in 21 games here at Molineux in the last 12 months. The Golden Palace a fortress again. In fact Gary O'Neill started protecting a seven game and beaten home run and the Wolfpack have scored in every home game going back to February. Six points from six over the festive period has them on fire too. The four goals at Brentford on Wednesday, the first time the Old Gold have struck that number away since promotion in 2018. The Toffees though provide sticky opposition without their points deduction. They'd be in the top half and they've won five of their last seven away from home. Lovely ball through, here's He-Chan Wang, left hand side of the penalty area, support arriving. Wang may choose to go it alone, back onto his left foot, try to square it across, oh Cunha couldn't turn it in. Brilliant bit of defending, blocked it, it's back with Wang though, trying to force his way through on the left hand side of the box and Everton with the numbers game able to get possession and try and bring the ball away and Wang has stayed down inside the penalty area. He's left one on in there by the way. It's a brilliantly timed run in behind the Everton defence, left hand side as far as Wolves are concerned. Had a couple of chances to get his shot away, tried to unselfishly square it and Everton players diving all over the place. McNeil looks to launch the ball towards the edge of the penalty area, headed away by Kilman. Sarabia went in with the challenge and Cunha has stolen it and Wolves have a three-on-one counter-attack. Everton players desperate to get back, Cunha onto He-Chan Wang into the penalty area, Wang round the goalkeeper, trying to pull it back, he's onto his right foot trying to square it across and just couldn't get the shot away. Just hit it? Yeah, let it go. I'll tell you, he got three against one there and he picked the right decision there, Cunha, playing Wang. I thought he could have just hit it first time but he's gone round the goalkeeper, you've got to finish it off, you've got to put it in the net. Cunha having a go from distance, just wide of the left-hand post of Jordan Pickford. It was played to him by Doyle and Cunha decided to take it on from just outside the D of the Everton penalty area, not a bad effort. No, it's not and that's what we want to see more of, we say it each game, why don't we shoot from distance outside the box and he did exactly that today. Sarabia again, swinging closer towards goal, away from an Everton defender, Tommy Doyle first to lose ball, back out to Sarabia, on towards Cunha, looks to whip it in, oh it's a scramble, it's off the line and post home and it's the captain, Maximilian Kielman. Did Dawson's got him first or not? Do you think he's going to claim it or not? Dawson got the first touch, Bigfoot of the defender managed to get a scramble. Kielman, definitely a play, the final touch that time and he lifts up a shirt with Lamina 5 on it. The send the message, love that boys, love that, nice touch, nice touch. 83 games without a goal for the skipper. I think that's all about the quality of balling for me, it's a great ball in. His last goal came in a home game against Everton in November 2021. There you go, follow up, it is good following up. Kielman's goal, a second goal for Maximilian Kielman in his Wolves career, both of them against Everton, both of them at the same end of Molyneux as well. Every sense of bad things to remember mine. He actually joins in in the finishing drills and some of the boys call him Lukaku because of the body shape. McNeil on for Calverlouin and it's across the face of goal. Jose Sarr did enough to close him down and force his effort wider than Calverlouin would have wanted it to be. I think the let off of that, big let off, just got caught there, just a little bit distant from players. It's a great little goal, he's got to do better to be honest. Yes, I think he's, he was hoping that somebody's at back post I think. Anana with a through ball, finds his way to Calverlouin, Calverlouin brilliant by Jose Sarr, diving to his left-hand side, he thought he was, goes up anyway. Great save no matter what. Dawson with an early attempt to try and switch the play, Sarabia picks up on the mistake by Mikalenko, Samedo's carried him a long way down this right-hand side and looks to whip his cross in and the goalkeeper Pickford left it. I feel like he judged it perfectly as it went beyond his far post. Great shot, great shot that was. I think just on that, I think it's important that obviously from a fan's point of view you pay your money to come into the stadium, you want to see us attack every single time we have the ball and score goals and thrilling games and stuff like that, but it's important that you do remember that having spells. Oh here's Heechan Wang, right inside of the area, low one across, a stab in. Mateus Cunha. Absolutely brilliant, well filled up play. It's a superb team move, the threaded through ball, the run of Heechan Wang and he laid it on a plate for Mateus Cunha, who couldn't miss from two yards out. Wolves double their advantage early in the second half. Wolves 2, Everton 0, what a beautiful goal. Just as I'm saying about we don't have to score every time we attack, we're going to score. It's unbelievable play, unbelievable play from Chani to the unselfishness from there. I know we said earlier he should have got one off, I thought he was going for it, but to see Cunha there marked by two lads, unbelievable. I'll tell you where that's come from though initially, I said you're looking at Doyle's ball out wide to him, but it's a great run from Wang there, just running down that side. Yeah great, great goal that, great goal. Oh now their mistake from Keane, Heechan Wang driving forwards, options he can square it to Sarabia, Bolte back on his right foot, went for goal and it's tipped behind for the corner, wrong side. It's got to be the other side and he's tried to get the eyes at me. Sends people for the chippy all the time. I call him samba hips in training all the time honestly, sometimes he sends me into the dressing room with some of the fake shots he gives me, and I'm being deadly serious and I know we have a lot of laughs and jokes, that is one hell of a save to not guess and not gamble and go late like that, that's unbelievable. Onto the post, can you tip it on the post? Yeah just got his fingertips on it. Yeah fingertips from Pickford to the outside of the post, Wolves corner, Tommy Doyle to whip it in, headed away at the near post. Ait Nuri sliding in, wins possession back, the desire from Wolves today has been evident for all to see. Ait Nuri still going, a pull back can't quite find its way through to Yi-Chan Wang, Doyle recycling via Cunha, no cross in, diverted and in! Craig Dawson looks around for an offside flag that doesn't come, he can't believe it. All supporters can't believe it, it's a third. All about the ball in for me again. That toppy whip spin one that I told you about, impossible to defend with the pace that it comes in. It's turning into a fabulous festive period and we waited so long for Maximilian Kielmann to get a goal, Craig Dawson ending his drought too. Just totty left now then isn't it? It's a great ball in, he's onside, lovely. So Craig Dawson that he tackles a goal in as well isn't it, my god couldn't be any more Dawson to tackle one in the bottom corner, brilliant. He's done brilliant since he's come here though, I think he's made a massive improvement to the side with his experience and the way he plays. Crossfield ball by Kielmann looking to Ait Nuri, intercepted by Coleman, nod down from Harrison, forwards to Andre Gomez, early one up towards Calvert-Lurien, touch from McNeil to strike it, oh and it rattles the post. Heading towards the top corner, well it's an unbelievable hit. Well left, no cheap corners we call them. What a goal that would have been. In all seriousness that's one hell of a strike. Oh it is. Sometimes you have just got to hold your own, just swinging away from him as well. Oh wow that's a hell of a strike. Oh well played. Lovely football for Wolves in the defensive third up to Kunya, just over halfway, little flick from Xiao Gomez. Now here comes Sarabia, Wolves are enjoying themselves. Xiao Gomez's flick, Sarabia, on again to Xiao Gomez, body's right foot and palm down by Jordan Pickford and saved. That had everything but the finish, everything but to finish that, it's a great play. It's opened up now, both teams are having a little go. For the fans to play a certain style of football and to make it obvious the style of football that we're playing and to get the crowd on our side, I mean this is one of the best atmospheres I've ever been at a football ground with and this guy on the ball is going to be survived. Looking early, brilliant ball for H&W, into the penalty area, what a save by Pickford, to his right hand side, Wang took it first time this time. Wang inside the penalty area, H&W what a lovely goal finish, the offside flag goes up. He does yeah, he looks offside, but again. What a finish though. Traore released Neto, Neto driving forwards, into the penalty area goes Pedro Neto, oh he got underneath it. I'll tell you what, smashed it high into the south bank, it was classic Neto. Doesn't look sharp at all, looks like he's had two months off doesn't he? Yeah he did yeah, he wasted all his good ones on me yesterday, that's what it was. Andre Gomez playing the ball forwards, Harrison trying to drill it low across the face of goal and comfortably behind for a goal kick. Oh now then, Wolves have won it back high up the field, H&W for Pedro Neto. Offside flag goes on, Wolves denied again. Well they checked it pretty quick, oh miles, it's not even close. Could have been more couldn't it, with the one shot being disallowed. Well that's it, we've come to an end slightly early. Wonderful performance from Wolves to end a fabulous festive period, three wins from three, 28 points before the turn of the year. Not many would have predicted that at the start of the season.