A crucial basement battle takes place tonight, Wednesday, January 7, 2026, as Everton hosts Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30 GMT.
This fixture carries massive implications at the bottom of the table. While David Moyes' Everton looks to snap a two-game home losing streak, Rob Edwards’ Wolves arrive with a newfound sense of belief after finally recording their first Premier League win of the season last weekend.
Match Details: Kick-off & Official Info
Competition: Premier League (Matchday 21)
Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Kick-off: 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
Referee: Michael Oliver
Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video (UK), Peacock (US), Optus Sport (Australia)
Form Guide: Seeking Consistency vs. Escaping Rock Bottom
Everton: The Moyes Return Reality Check
Since David Moyes returned for his second spell exactly one year ago, Everton has stabilized, but recent weeks have been difficult. A heavy 4–2 defeat to Brentford on Sunday exposed defensive frailties that Moyes had worked hard to iron out. Despite being 12th in the table, the Toffees are only a few poor results away from being dragged back into a relegation scrap. With European places still mathematically within reach (just three points off 5th), Moyes will view tonight as a "must-win" to restore order at their new home ground.
Wolves: The Long Wait is Over
After 20 matches, Wolves finally secured their first league win of the season with a commanding 3–0 victory over West Ham on Saturday. Rob Edwards, who took over in November, has slowly improved performances, but the results are only just starting to follow. Despite sitting 20th, the morale in the Black Country is at a season-high. Wolves already have a psychological edge over Everton this season, having knocked them out of the Carabao Cup 2–0 back in September.
Team News & AFCON Absentees
Everton Team News
Injury Crisis: The Toffees are missing several pillars of their starting XI. Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are all sidelined with hamstring injuries.
AFCON Duty: Top scorer Iliman Ndiaye and veteran Idrissa Gueye are currently away with Senegal.
Doubtful: Midfielder Carlos Alcaraz remains a doubt with an undisclosed fitness issue.
Key Man: Jack Grealish will be expected to provide the creative spark in Ndiaye's absence.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Iroegbunam, Garner; McNeil, Röhl, Grealish; Barry.
Wolves Team News
Fitness Boost: Hee-Chan Hwang and João Gomes both suffered knocks against West Ham but have trained and are expected to start.
Out: Captain Toti and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde remain unavailable through injury.
AFCON Duty: Emmanuel Agbadou is away with the Ivory Coast.
Returning Hero: Pedro Lima is back in the squad after his loan spell at Porto was cut short.
Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): José Sá; Mosquera, Bueno, Krejčí; Tchatchoua, João Gomes, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Jhon Arias, Hwang; Strand Larsen.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
Recent Dominance: Wolves have won 6 of the last 10 meetings between these two sides.
Home Woes: Everton has lost three of their last four home games, conceding 9 goals in that period.
Clean Sheet Drought: Before Saturday, Wolves had gone 19 games without a Premier League clean sheet.
Reverse Fixture: Everton won a thriller at Molineux 3–2 in August, thanks to a late winner from Iliman Ndiaye.
Tactical Analysis: Experience vs. Momentum
David Moyes will likely revert to a more conservative setup after the Brentford collapse. The absence of Branthwaite has left Everton vulnerable to pace, something Hee-Chan Hwang and Jhon Arias will look to exploit. Everton will rely heavily on the aerial presence of Thierno Barry and the delivery of Dwight McNeil.
For Wolves, Rob Edwards has implemented a high-energy system that relies on the "double pivot" of Mario Lemina and João Gomes to win the ball early. If they can replicate the intensity shown against West Ham, they will fancy their chances against an Everton midfield that has lacked mobility in recent weeks.
Match Prediction
Everton is the better side on paper, but their injury list is significant. Wolves are playing with "house money"—the pressure of the winless run is gone, and they are playing with freedom. Moyes rarely loses three home games in a row, but this has the feel of a gritty stalemate.
Final Score Prediction: Everton 1–1 Wolves
