Not for the first time this season Michael Keane was left utterly bemused at the sight of a red card. In November he had been on the receiving end of a slap in the face from Idrissa Gana Gueye that resulted in his Everton team-mate being sent off against Manchester United.
Here, the centre back was the one dismissed in equally bizarre circumstances, adjudged to have been guilty of violent conduct when pulling the ponytail of the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Tolu Arokodare during an aerial duel in the 81st minute.
Keane did tug the hair of his rival in trying to gain some leverage, but not with any malice. Still, after being advised by VAR to review the flashpoint, referee Thomas Kirk gave the Everton defender his marching orders.
Keane, left, watches his adroit finish sail into the Wolves goal for his third Premier League goal this season
REUTERS
Cue a toxic fallout, with the home crowd at the Hill Dickinson Stadium incensed when a replay of the incident was played on the big screen, while manager David Moyes was booked for his protests.
In the continued tumult, Jack Grealish joined Keane in being dismissed when he was booked twice in quick succession for dissent.
It was Grealish’s first red card in his Premier League career and the second caution came for sarcastically applauding the match official, an unnecessary act of petulance.
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The drama enlivened a low-key contest in which Keane had actually opened the scoring from a set piece, only for Wolves teenager Mateus Mané to embellish his growing reputation with a fine equalising strike.
Without an excellent save by Jordan Pickford to keep out a Hugo Bueno shot that was destined for the top corner, Wolves might have snatched another victory.
That would have been too much for Moyes and his players to stomach as they dropped points in their search for European qualification.
Thomas Kirk shows Keane a red card for pulling Arokodare’s hair
ALEX LIVESEY/GETTY
In keeping with the theme of this season, it was a set piece that allowed Everton to open the scoring. Dwight McNeil’s outswinging free kick to the back post was headed down by James Tarkowski, Tim Iroegbunam took a swipe at the ball and Keane reacted quickest to sweep in from six yards.
Not long afterwards, Keane headed against a post from closer to the goal after being found by James Garner’s pinpoint dead-ball delivery on this occasion.
Otherwise, the interest of Everton supporters was piqued by a full Premier League debut for 18-year-old Harrison Armstrong, who has just been recalled from a loan spell with Preston North End.
Moyes’s plan is to allow him to return to Deepdale later this month should absentees return, but the midfielder could yet rip that up if he catches the eye. Here, Armstrong displayed a willingness to be involved and to try to make something happen, even if it did not always come off.
The fact that, of late, Wolves have been performing more adeptly than their meagre points tally indicates should provide a sliver of consolation for Rob Edwards.
Gallant displays in defeat by Arsenal and Liverpool had been followed by the draw with Manchester United and then a first win of the season, against West Ham United, at the weekend.
Initially, they struggled to muster any semblance of momentum. Hwang Hee-chan shot wide at the end of the first half, having been ushered through on goal after Arokodare picked off Tarkowski’s poor pass.
Yet Wolves persevered and the introduction of Jorgen Strand Larsen midway through the second half paid instant dividends.
He had all the space and time in the world to collect a pass and then thread a ball for Mané, who burst in between Jake O’Brien and Tarkowski before guiding a shot into the corner of the net from just outside the penalty area.
The sight of Pickford with his arms outstretched in the aftermath indicated how he felt that Everton had been wide open when picked apart.
At kick-off, the lowest points total after 20 games for a team that went on to avoid relegation was West Bromwich Albion’s tally of 11 in 2004-05.
Wolves are on six, but are unbeaten in three matches. A miracle is surely beyond them.
Everton (4-3-3): J Pickford — J O’Brien , J Tarkowski, M Keane, V Mykolenko — H Armstrong ((N Patterson 87), J Garner, T Iroegbunam — D McNeil (M Rohl 91), T Barry (Beto 87), J Grealish.
Booked: Iroegbunam, Grealish Sent off: Keane, Grealish .
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-5-2): J Sá, Y Mosquero, S Bueno, L Krejci (J Strand Larsen 68) — J Tchatchoua, J Arias (Andre 45), J Gomes, M Mané, H Bueno — T Arokodare, H Hwang (P Lima 90+5). Booked: Sá. Mosquero Referee: T Kirk.