Everton slipped to a third straight Premier League defeat at Wolves.
Max Kilman broke the deadlock during the first half after outjumping Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey at a corner to power a header past Jordan Pickford.
The hosts’ lead was doubled barely five minutes later as Raul Jiminez seized upon an under-cooked back pass by Godfrey with a dinked close-range finish.
Alex Iwobi reduced the deficit in an improved second half from the Blues but they were still unable to ensure the game finished with honours even.
Here were the key talking points from Molineux:
Set piece stat exposes Benitez myth
Rafael Benitez’s long-standing penchant for defensive robustness was seen as a unique selling point in his protracted appointment as Everton manager.
But that reputation clearly now precedes the 61-year-old after his side failed once more to cover themselves in glory when handling their basic duties.
Max Kilman’s opener was the eighth goal that the Blues have conceded from set pieces from 10 games; matching their tally across the previous campaign.
The collective failings of Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey gifted the centre-back his first goal for Wolves after nearly three-and-a-half seasons of trying.
Godfrey went one better in playing an under-cooked back pass which allowed Raul Jiminez to double the hosts’ advantage with comfortable dinked finish.
Benitez cannot say he wasn’t forewarned given that West Ham United and Watford both prospered from near-identical situations to the one at Molineux.
A threadbare squad limited further by injury does not offer the Spaniard mitigation for failing to set Everton up to withstand even the slightest pressure.
If anything, it exposes the myth that he is still capable of facing up to it.
Blues pay for not minding the gap
Most alarmingly about Everton’s latest Premier League loss is that it was barely distinguishable from their previous one to Watford just days ago.
The opening 25 minutes at Molineux could easily have been tagged onto the final quarter of an hour in that 5-2 humiliation with minimal discrepancies.
On both occasions, Benitez’s side were punished for failing to close the gap between defence and midfield; allowing their opponents freedom to roam.
A midfield bank of Allan and Jean-Philippe Gbamin visibly struggled with Wolves’ intensity in their manager’s shift to a 4-4-2 system at the outset.
Passing was sloppy and possession limited; Gbamin alone mustered an appalling 20 touches in the opening 45 minutes before being withdrawn.
That change in personnel also coincided with Benitez reverting to a more favourable 4-3-3 formation that evened up a previously one-sided contest.
Even then, Wolves were still able to make inroads on Jordan Pickford’s goal with Jiminez allowed to crash a close-range header against the woodwork.
If Everton still refuse to mind the gap, they could see gaping hole elsewhere; notably between themselves and those in the top flight’s upper echelons.
Could Delph be turning a corner?
Fabian Delph’s Everton career has been anything but a triumph so far.
Persistent injury and a habit of putting his foot in it off the pitch remain the abiding memories of the former England international’s time on Merseyside.
That, however, might soon be about to change if Delph’s transformative second half appearance in the Black Country can be considered a bellwether.
Coming on for an ineffectual Gbamin, many Evertonians would be forgiven for suspecting his direct replacement would simply serve up more of the same.
Yet the 31-year-old stood out for all the right reasons at Molineux as the metronome for a midfield which had lacked any sense of control all night.
Clearly one good half does not absolve more than two years of frustration but more displays like this will help Delph find true redemption at Goodison Park.