From his very first game in charge at Everton, the attacking set-piece has been an indispensable weapon for Sean Dyche. James Tarkowski’s header against Arsenal in February 2023 earned a priceless win on the manager’s debut and, just as they were a staple of his Burnley side, dead-ball situations were central to the Blues’ tactics for winning matches in 2022/23 and last season in 2023/24.

This season, however, goals directly from set-pieces have been harder to come by and so, it follows, have goals and points in general. Whether it has simply been a case of execution or opposition defences focusing on stopping the deep free-kick or corner to Tarkowski at the back post, Everton have not scored at the same rate from these situations this season. No wonder, then, that they came into this must-win game against Wolves having blanked in their previous four.

The Toffees rectified that record with what was, in terms of the scoreline at least, a thumping home victory thanks to three goals as a result of free-kicks and one from a corner — although how much you ascribe to appalling defending by Wolves might dictate how much praise you’re willing to heap on Everton.

On another day, the hosts might have had six or seven. The match officials wiped out two goals, the first a very harsh “subjective offside” decision that robbed Tarkowski of his first of the campaign, and Jack Harrison wasted a hat-trick of openings, slicing two shots in front of goal well over the crossbar and into the Gwladys Street End late on. Just as well, then, that Dyche’s men were four goals to the good by that stage and coasting to only their third league win of the season.

The match hadn’t started nearly so positively and Wolves, hoping to haul themselves out of the drop zone and dump Everton into it with a win, fashioned two good openings in the opening few minutes. Jorgen Strand Larsen failed to convert when well placed and Matheus Cunha, easily the best player in black on the night, forced a good one-handed save from Jordan Pickford on his 300th Premier League appearance.

Thankfully, given the importance of the early goal, the Blues went ahead with less than 10 minutes on the clock. Given the benefit of a favourable advantage call by referee Michael Salisbury when Abdoulaye Doucouré stayed offside as Calvert-Lewin was felled on the edge of the area, Everton were awarded a direct free-kick.

Last season, the sight of Ashley Young standing over a set-piece inspired anything but confidence but, to be fair to the veteran, he spied the poor positioning of José Sá’s defensive well and bent a placed effort around the outside man and into the bottom corner. In doing so, he became the oldest Toffees player to score a goal in the Premier League era at the ripe age of 39.

Six minutes later, it was 2-0… or so Goodison thought. Having initially awarded a goal, referee Salisbury was eventually directed by Video Assistant Referee, Darren England, to the pitch-side monitor to review Orel Managala’s interference with Mario Lemina from an offside position. Predictably enough, he agreed and the goal was disallowed, even though to any sensible eye, Lemina would never have out-jumped Tarkowski and the three other defenders around him as leaped to power home McNeil’s free-kick.

Of course, Everton leads are notoriously fragile, especially when it feels like the footballing gods — or VAR — are conspiring against them and the visitors remained very much in the contest. After Sá had come off his line win a duel with Calvert-Lewin and block the striker’s shot, Strand Larsen had two chances either side of the half-hour mark, easily out-muscling Tarkowski but finding Pickford in uncompromising mood and then just failing to reposition his body to make proper contact on Matt Doherty’s dangerous volleyed cross from the Wolves right.

But two minutes after that, Everton legitimately doubled their lead after Tarkowski’s legs had been taken from under him near the touchline by Cunha. Vitalii Mykolenko’s mis-hit volley when McNeil’s set-piece was only partially cleared bounced out to the edge of the box where Mangala drove through the loose ball and wheeled away in celebration as his deflected effort flew past Sá and into the goal.

Importantly, with the horrible collapse against Brentford still tugging at the consciousness, Everton made the game safe shortly after half-time after Rayan Aït-Nouri had felt compelled to nod McNeil’s deep centre behind for a corner. McNeil himself swung the dead ball which Sá flapped at unconvincingly, Calvert-Lewin rose with Craig Dawson and it was the Wolves defender who got the decisive touch to send it past his own keeper.

Wolves briefly threatened to make things interesting after Ndiaye’s goal had been chalked off for a foul on Sá by Calvert-Lewin but Doherty’s header off Joao Gomes’s teasing cross came off the post and Tarkowski helped it forward and Young did brilliantly to get across and charge Cunha’s shot down.

And then, with 18 minutes to go, Everton rounded off the scoring thanks to another unwitting intervention by Dawson. McNeil bent a wicked free-kick into the six-yard box that Calvert-Lewin stooped to head home but the last touch came off the defender’s leg. It was yet more partial disappointment for DCL who hasn’t registered a goal since mid-September but at 4-0, the Toffees were comparatively flying.

Even then it could and should have been more. Armando Broja came off the bench to make a hugely encouraging cameo and carved out two gilt-edged chances for Harrison, both of which he wasted, one with each foot when he had to at least hit the target from a central position.

Perhaps with extra padding two late strikes would have provided, this would have felt as emphatic a win as the scoreline suggested but you left this one hugely relieved at the three points but curiously under-whelmed by the overall performance. Perhaps the wider context of Dyche’s uninspiring management now colours every display and, ultimately, the points, no matter how they come, are the most important thing.

Because with all four of the top four to come between now and Boxing Day, the five-point cushion between Everton and the bottom three feels simultaneously thin but precious.


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