Premier League: Relegation Threat Looms Large at Everton Once Again

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Everton

After dropping two games in a row, Everton are only one foot above the dreaded relegation zone, so they must pick themselves up as soon as they can.

Sean Dyche’s men are fresh from a tough loss against the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City, last night. So now they’re in 17^th place with 16 points, only one point above 18^th-seeded Luton Town.

In contrast to Everton, Wolves have won back-to-back matches (versus Chelsea and Brentford) and have only lost once in their last five, improving to 11^th in the standings with 25 points.

So, while the Wolves are easier to deal with than Manchester City, Everton are still the underdogs because Gary O’Neil’s boys are in much better form with their recent Premier League 2023 results.

Talking Points

Resurgent Wolves to get massive attacking boost

The Wolves’ success in recent weeks can be attributed to their improved frontline, with the likes of Hwang Hee-Chan, Matheus Cunha, and Mario Lemina all on target.

Hwang, Cunha, and Lemina are currently the team’s leading scorers, combining for 20 goals and six assists so far this season, and their attack will only get better with the impending return of Pedro Neto, who has returned to training for the Wolves after being out of action since October.

Neto played in Wolves’ 10 opening Premier League matches this season, notching one goal and dishing out seven assists. However, he sustained a hamstring injury against Newcastle United, causing him to miss the next nine games.

After having trained a full week with the Wolves, Neto was named on the bench during their 4-1 victory against Brentford earlier today. This is an encouraging sign, but don’t expect him in the starting XI right away since the Wolves will likely slowly ease him back into the mix.

And Pedro Neto is not the only top playmaker for the Wolves, as Pablo Sarabia, who has proven his worth on the team in recent weeks, has more assists than him with eight.

Everton’s captain nearing return

Similar to Wolves, Everton will only get better with the impending return of their captain, Seamus Coleman, who has been out of action for the most part in 2023 due to injuries.

Seamus Coleman suffered a major knee injury against Leicester City in May and was out for the next seven months. The veteran full-back returned to the starting XI during Everton’s 3-0 win against Newcastle United at Goodison Park this month, but his evening was cut short when he was forced off in the 67^th minute when he hurt his foot after clashing with Anthony Gordon.

Nathan Patterson has taken over Coleman’s spot in the starting lineup ever since, but it has yielded mixed results. And because Patterson just turned 22 this year, sometimes he is being targeted in the wings, and a healthy Coleman could address that.

Even if they were docked 10 points for breaching their Financial Fair Play rules, Everton are not going to give up, and Seamus Coleman, an Evertonian through and through, is a perfect embodiment of their never-say-die spirit.

History

The Wolves have won four of their last five Premier League matches against Everton (D1), including a double last season, which is as many as they’d managed in their previous 21 league meetings (D8, L9).

The last time the Toffees beat the Wolves in the Premier League was a 2-1 result in January 2021.

Furthermore, Everton have won just two of their last 10 Premier League matches against Wolves at the Molineux (D4, L4).

The hosts are undefeated in their last seven Premier League games at the Molineux (W4, D3), so they are three games away from matching their longest unbeaten run at home, which happened between January and August 2019 (10 matches).

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Premier League 2023 odds predict a close fight between Wolves and Everton, with the hosts priced at 2.50, the visitors at 2.61, and the draw pegged at 3.13 in the 1X2 market.

And you can also take a look at their Asian Handicap offers, with Wolves on offer at -0.00 @ 1.91 and the Toffees at -0.00 @ 1.99.

But while this game could go either way, we’re siding with the hosts to win this one since their recent form and record over the Toffees speak for themselves.

Other than the bets we just mentioned, you may also want to consider betting on Over 2.25 at 1.78, which feels safe since the Wolves have picked up the scoring recently.

 

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