Gomes Stunning Strike Not Enough For Everton In Wolves Loss

LIVERPOOL, United Kingdom- Wolverhampton Wanderers prevented Everton from recording successive home Premier League victories, the Midlands team inflicting a 3-1 defeat on the Blues at Goodison Park.

Andre Gomes thrashed home to level on 27 minutes after Ruben Neves’ early penalty put Wolves in front. The away team were back ahead, however, when Raul Jimenez headed beyond Jordan Pickford on the stroke of half-time.

And Leander Dendoncker stretched Wolves' advantage with a rising close-range strike on 66 minutes.

The visitors' opening two goals sandwiched a terrific strike from midfielder Gomes which restored parity until the final minute of the half.

Theo Walcott had been denied one-on-one by Rui Patricio minutes earlier – the Portugal international goalkeeper flying from his line to smother after Walcott was played in by Gylfi Sigurdsson – when Gomes struck in emphatic fashion.

The former Valencia player continued his run forward after passing right to Seamus Coleman and received the ball back via a neat piece of play from Cenk Tosun, exquisitely spinning and weighting his pass for his advancing teammate.

Gomes progressed into the box and slammed the ball high into the net. It was a stunning hit and a fabulous way for the player to score his first goal for the Club.

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Neves had expertly converted from the spot on seven minutes against the initial run of play, the talented young midfielder sliding his kick into the bottom-right corner after referee Lee Mason penalised Leighton Baines following a tangle of legs with Matt Doherty.

The visitors drew an awful lot of encouragement from their breakthrough, wing-backs Jonny Otto and Matt Doherty routinely joining attacks and Diogo Jota consistently aiming to run in behind Everton’s rearguard.

Former Porto player Jota failed to pull Conor Coady’s ball over the top from the sky, the forward’s heavy touch nudging the ball all the way through to Everton goalkeeper Pickford.

Pickford had a much tougher job on his hands to save excellently from Dendoncker on 20 minutes. The giant Belgian advanced from his anchoring position to collect a pass slipped right from Jimenez before unleashing a thumping strike which Pickford kept out at close range.

Between times, Mexican striker Jimenez was denied a clear header at goal when Michael Keane climbed to clear a Doherty cross. For Everton, Gylfi Sigurdsson thudded a free-kick into the wall and did likewise with the rebound, which he caught hold of flush on his left boot.

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Baines had to surrender to the rib problem he sustained at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday and which made him a doubt for this game – Jonjoe Kenny on eight minutes before half-time to play at left-back for the second time this week.

The game had reached its 45th minute when Wolves hit the front. Jota’s running caused a problem, again, Keane tripping the Portuguese off the ball.

Joao Moutinho stood up the free-kick from the left, inviting Jimenez to bustle in and head past the helpless Pickford.

Kenny was off target with an effort five minutes after the restart following Coleman’s run and cut-back.

Prior to the defender’s half-chance, Neves sustained a knock and made way for Romain Saiss. But it was another midfielder in Dendoncker who extended Wolves’ advantage. Jota did the leg work, pinching possession on halfway and progressing into the area via an exchange of passes with Jimenez.

Kurt Zouma sped across and applied a block on Jota’s shot. The ball, however, spun up and dropped for Dendoncker who was slightly off balance but hammered his strike underneath the bar.

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Tom Davies thundered a shot into a scrum of defenders after Patricio punched out a Sigurdsson free-kick.

Everton came closer still from another Sigurdsson set-piece moments later.

The original clearance fell for Keane, this time, and the centre-back’s low blast was destined for goal until defender Willy Boly launched himself in front of the ball.

Towering Frenchman Boly rose to clear another Sigurdsson dead ball following Coady’s foul on Dominic Calvert-Lewin; forward Calvert-Lewin on from the bench along with Ademola Lookman as manager Marco Silva switched to a three-at the back system in a bid to add more bodies to Everton’s attack.