Wolves 3 Everton 0

As our increasingly revered head coach might say, there was a lot to like about that performance.

First and foremost, it was a fitting tribute to the absent Mario Lemina, following the sad news about his father’s passing. Our condolences go out to him and his family.

Secondly, I’d argue that this was the most complete performance of the O’Neil era.

Since taking the reins, the gaffer has often spoken about the need for time to embed his methods on a group of players that have mostly underwhelmed for the last few seasons.

On the evidence of this performance and our shellacking of Brentford, those designs have now been firmly imprinted.

Whether it’s the pinpoint passing of Dawson and Kilman, the overlapping of Semedo and Ait-Nouri, the relentless pressing of Gomes, or the fluid interchanging between Cunha, Hwang, and Sarabia, the identity of this Wolves team is clear for all to see.

The result, of course, is a fanbase that is as united as it was during the halcyon days of Nuno’s reign, with Molineux finally back to its raucous best.

Credit also ought to go to Tommy Doyle, who stepped into Lemina’s boots effortlessly. The Mancunian maestro is looking to be an absolute steal, with his purposeful passing at the heart of most of our best moments.

Kudos to the aforementioned Sarabia too, who has really stepped up to the plate during this festive purple period. His pass to Hwang in the buildup to our second was sumptuous.

Put simply, Everton couldn’t cope and would be heading back to Merseyside feeling even more humbled, were it not for the repeated mercy of the linesman’s flag.

Indeed, Neto’s disallowed goal would have been the icing on the cake of a pretty stellar afternoon. Nonetheless, it was great to see our number seven back on the field after his prolonged absence.

With the league table looking most pleasant, it’s tantalising to ponder how this season might pan out, especially with us being within touching distance of the European places.

At the very least, it’d be great if we could put Brentford to the sword once again and embark on a decent cup run.

Regardless of where things go from here though, this team and its manager are deserving of all the plaudits that are coming their way. Thanks to them, we’ve got our Wolves back.