Depending on next season’s fixtures, this might have been the last-ever Boxing Day game at Goodison Park but Everton will just hope that they’re still playing Premier League football this time next year after they were knocked out by a sucker punch from a Wolverhampton Wanderers side who came into this fixture propping up the table.
The Blues had taken the lead just seven minutes in with a Yerry Mina header from a corner kick but after Daniel Prodence had restored parity with a close range effort from a corner of their own, the visitors snatched the points deep into second half stoppage time when the hosts imploded defensively to allow substitute Rayan Ait-Nouri to fire in at the back post and leave the long-suffering home faithful sick and feel ready to bring their Christmas dinners back up.
As 2022 at Goodison drew to a close, it was the same old story for Mina as he displayed early promise before ultimately failing to complete 90 minutes.
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The centre-back – recalled to the side because on-loan Conor Coady was ineligible to play against his parent club – enjoyed a dream return in his first Premier League start since the opening day of the campaign when he headed his side ahead.
Although the visitors’ marking of the Colombian from Dwight McNeil’s delivery was slack, and like their decision in the summer to allow the man he replaced, Coady, to come to Goodison Park – seemingly somewhat naïve, Mina met the cross expertly to put away the chance. We shouldn’t have been surprised though as this is a player whose aerial ability has long made him a dominant figure in both boxes.
However, with the game in the balance in the second half, we saw the other side of Mina and his ability to stay on the pitch. He made way for Godfrey with just under 15 minutes remaining and his absence in the latter stages ultimately saw Frank Lampard’s side pay dearly as a calamitous defensive collapse saw the visitors carve the hosts open like a Christmas turkey to ruin the festive season for all Evertonians.
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