It was a case of ‘no strikers, no problem’ for Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton, who triumphed in style against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Tuesday.
An early half-volley from Alex Iwobi and a late driven header from Michael Keane bookended an equaliser from Wolves’ Ruben Neves to wrap up all three points for the Toffees.
The result ensured that their previous league defeat against West Ham was merely a blip, with Ancelotti’s side able to claim a run of good form. The result lifted Everton to fourth place as they continue their push to secure European football this season.
The Toffees have lost only one of their last seven league fixtures in what has been an impressive spell of wins against the likes of Leicester, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Of course, the win against Wolves was no mere accident; the game was peppered with superb performances across the Toffees’ team.
Beyond the scorers themselves, the likes of Lucas Digne, Jordan Pickford and James Rodriguez were just some of the key figures to put in commanding displays against Wolves and ensure that the Blues could return to Merseyside with three points wrapped up.
Here are Read Everton’s player ratings from the 2-1 win in the Midlands last night:
Jordan Pickford – 6/10
His spell was peppered with the occasional error and needless corner given away, but he pulled off some commanding moments too, including a wonder save from a Fabio Silva shot.
Mason Holgate – 7/10
He put in a commanding display as he played behind Iwobi, who is not a natural at defending.
Were it not for a booking for a rash challenge, Holgate’s rating could have been higher.
Michael Keane – 9/10
Leadership, robustness and a match winner: Keane’s display had it all. Man of the match.
Yerry Mina – 6/10
He looked nervy and unconvincing at times, but nonetheless shored up the back line well for large spells.
Ben Godfrey – 7/10
Keeping the likes of Nelson Semedo and Pedro Neto quiet as he made three interceptions, Godfrey seems to be getting better with every game. Looks to be Premier League quality.
Abdoulaye Doucoure – 5/10
Usually a top player for Everton, Doucoure could arguably have done more to prevent Neves’ equaliser and lacked energy at times.