Everton vs Wolves Preview (7 January 2026) | Premier League Prediction & Betting Tips

Response vs Revival on Merseyside

Everton’s push for Europe has stalled just as Wolves have finally discovered a pulse.

David Moyes’s men arrive into this midweek clash wounded by a chaotic 4-2 home loss to Brentford, their defensive frailties brutally exposed in front of their own supporters. In contrast, Rob Edwards has finally delivered Wolverhampton Wanderers’ first Premier League win of the season – a cathartic 3-0 demolition of fellow strugglers West Ham United.

Under the lights at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, one side is fighting to stay attached to the European conversation; the other is trying to convince the rest of the division that their survival bid has only just begun. It feels like a classic Premier League crossroads night.

📌 Quick Facts

📈 Form & Momentum

🟦 Everton: From Surge to Stumble

Everton’s surge towards the European spots has stalled badly.

Recent league run:

• ❌ 0–2 vs Chelsea
• ❌ 0–2 vs Arsenal
• 🤝 0–0 vs Burnley
• ✅ 2–0 vs Nottingham Forest
• ❌ 2–4 vs Brentford

Key trends:

• 3 defeats in last 4 home matches
• Goals have dried up in big tests (Chelsea, Arsenal)
• Defensive structure wobbling again after a solid autumn spell

The 4-2 defeat to Brentford was particularly damaging. Conceding four at home, despite goals from Beto and Thierno Barry, underlined the fragility that Moyes thought he had fixed. The Toffees remain only three points off fifth, but the margin for error is shrinking quickly.

🐺 Wolves: Finally Off the Mark

Wolves’ season has been historically poor – three points from their first 19 matches and a run of 11 straight Premier League defeats. But the last two games have offered something resembling hope.

Recent league run:

• ❌ 0–2 vs Brentford
• ❌ 0–1 vs Liverpool
• ❌ 1–3 vs Aston Villa
• 🤝 1–1 vs Manchester United (Old Trafford)
• ✅ 3–0 vs West Ham United

Positives:

• First league win of the season (3–0 vs West Ham)
• First clean sheet since April
• New attacking structure finally producing chances and goals

That West Ham performance was their template: intensity, vertical transitions and clinical finishing, with Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-chan and teenager Mateus Mane all decisive in the final third.

🧠 Tactical Overview

🟦 Everton: Structured 4-2-3-1, Needing Control

Everton under Moyes remain wedded to a compact, hard-running 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 hybrid:

• Double pivot tasked with screening and progressing
• Wide players asked to work both ways, pressing full-backs and providing width
• A mobile central forward (Barry or Beto) attacking crosses and second balls

Key tactical aims vs Wolves:

• Pin Wolves wing-backs deep, preventing overloads in wide areas
• Use set pieces and crosses to exploit Wolves’ aerial vulnerabilities
• Restore defensive discipline after conceding four to Brentford

The question: can Everton control transitions better than they did at the weekend? If not, Wolves have the pace to punish them.

🐺 Wolves: 3-5-2 with Vertical Threat

Rob Edwards has doubled down on Wolves’ 3-5-2/3-4-2-1 structure:

• Back three with aggressive stepping out to contest aerial duels
• Wing-backs providing width and direct running on the break
• Midfield trio focused on winning duels and releasing runners early
• Two forwards (Arokodare, Larsen) attacking space and crosses

Key tactical aims:

• Draw Everton’s full-backs high, then spin into space behind
• Use Mateus Mane’s energy between the lines to disrupt Everton’s shape
• Exploit Everton’s current fragility in defensive transitions

If Wolves can replicate the intensity shown against West Ham, this will be far from a routine home fixture for Moyes’s men.

⭐ Key Players to Watch

Everton

• 🎯 Thierno Barry – Scored against Brentford; movement across the front line is crucial to disrupt Wolves’ back three.
• 🧱 James Tarkowski – Must re-assert leadership at the back after a leaky recent spell at home.
• ⚙️ James Garner – Key in linking defence to attack; his set-piece delivery could be decisive.

Wolves

• ⚡ Hwang Hee-chan – Goal and assist threat; his movement into half-spaces caused chaos against West Ham.
• 🌪️ Mateus Mane – Teenager with fearless running and a goal in the last match; brings dynamism in transition.
• 🔒 Jose Sa – Confidence-boosting clean sheet last time; likely to be busy under aerial bombardment.

🚑 Team News (Prose Only)

🟦 Everton

Everton remain without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman, all still sidelined by hamstring problems. Midfielder Carlos Alcaraz is a doubt again after missing the last two fixtures with an undisclosed issue.

The Africa Cup of Nations has also bitten into Moyes’s options, with Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye away with Senegal as they prepare for a quarter-final clash against Mali. Their absence reduces energy and ball-winning in midfield, as well as flexibility in the attacking roles.

Moyes is unlikely to overhaul his XI, but Merlin Rohl is pushing for a start in the band of three supporting the striker, giving Everton an extra creative angle behind the main front man.

🐺 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves remain stretched:

• Toti, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Marshall Munetsi, Leon Chiwome and Daniel Bentley are all out injured.
• Rodrigo Gomes is close to a return after groin surgery but is expected to miss this one.
• Joao Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan both need assessment after groin and calf issues forced them off against West Ham.
• At the back, Emmanuel Agbadou is unavailable due to Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ivory Coast, further limiting Edwards’s options in central defence.

The overall picture: Wolves have momentum and belief, but depth remains thin; any additional knocks could significantly weaken their bench and late-game options.

🔍 Match Dynamics: What We’re Likely to See

• 🕐 Fast Everton start: Expect Moyes’s side to press high early to settle the crowd and re-establish authority at home.
• ⚔️ Midfield battle: Wolves’ energy vs Everton’s structure; second balls will be crucial.
• 🔁 Transitions both ways: Neither side is particularly secure when the game becomes stretched.
• 🎯 Set-pieces a major factor: Tarkowski vs Wolves’ defence at corners and free-kicks is a key mismatch in Everton’s favour.
• ⏳ Wolves dangerous if close late on: If the game is tight after 70 minutes, Wolves’ belief after their first win could fuel a big late push.

🧮 Betting Tips & Prediction

(Indicative odds style – adjust to your market feed)

1X2 Market (Guide)

• Everton win: ~1.80–1.95
• Draw: ~3.40
• Wolves win: ~4.20–4.60

Goals & Both Teams To Score

• Over 2.5 goals: ~1.95
• Under 2.5 goals: ~1.80
• Both Teams To Score – YES: ~1.90
• Both Teams To Score – NO: ~1.85

🧠 Rezilta / Goal.mu View

Everton’s home wobble and Wolves’ first win of the season make this more complicated than the table suggests. However:

• Everton remain stronger in terms of overall squad quality.
• Wolves are still fragile away from Molineux, with 10 defeats in their last 12 on the road.
• Set-pieces and home pressure could tilt the match towards the Toffees, even if Wolves remain competitive.

🔮 Correct Score Prediction:

Everton 2–1 Wolves

✅ Best Betting Angles (Value-Focused)

• Everton to win (1X2)
• Everton to score 2+ goals (Team Goals)
• Over 2.0 Asian Goals (safer on total goals)

For risk-seekers:

• Everton WIN & Over 1.5 Goals (Bet Builder / Combo)

🧑‍🎤 Final Verdict

This is a clash between a side trying to avoid slipping out of the European conversation and another still clinging to survival hopes.

Wolves’ first win will inject belief, but their away numbers remain brutal. Everton have issues – especially defensively – yet the combination of home advantage, better depth and set-piece threat points towards a narrow but vital response for Moyes.

Wolves may have found life, but Merseyside should still belong to the Toffees on Wednesday night.

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