Craig Dawson contributed two goals on Wednesday evening in Everton's resounding victory. A striking detail: Dawson plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 34-year-old Englishman became the scapegoat of the evening with two own goals in a painful 4-0 defeat during their visit to Liverpool.
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It was a night to forget for Craig Dawson, the Wolverhampton Wanderers defender who inadvertently etched his name into Premier League history during Wolves’ humbling 4-0 defeat to Everton.
Dawson, who returned to the starting lineup after a brief substitute appearance in the previous game against Bournemouth a match that also ended in disappointment with a 4-2 loss found himself at the center of a performance he will desperately want to move past.
The evening at Goodison Park started with high hopes for Wolves, but it quickly spiraled into a nightmare, particularly for Dawson. Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin looked to have a productive night, seemingly scoring two goals. However, replays showed that both goals were not entirely of Calvert-Lewin's making. Instead, it was Dawson who, in moments of misfortune, redirected the ball into his own net twice. Such incidents are rare in football, but for them to happen twice to the same player in one match is almost unheard of.
Dawson’s misadventures saw him join an unfortunate club, equaling the record for the most own goals scored by a single player in a Premier League match. The defender now shares this unenviable statistic with four other players. Jamie Carragher was the first to achieve this dubious distinction in 1999 while playing for Liverpool in a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United. Michael Proctor followed in 2003 during Sunderland's 3-1 loss to Charlton Athletic. Then came Jonathan Walters in 2013 when Stoke City suffered a 4-0 drubbing by Chelsea. Most recently, Wout Faes of Leicester City scored two own goals against Liverpool in 2022, handing the Reds a narrow 2-1 victory. Now, Dawson's misfortune against Everton has placed him among these infamous ranks.
The historical list of players scoring two own goals in a single match reads as follows:
11-09-1999: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool vs. Manchester United, 2-3)
01-02-2003: Michael Proctor (Sunderland vs. Charlton Athletic, 1-3)
12-01-2013: Jonathan Walters (Stoke City vs. Chelsea, 0-4)
30-12-2022: Wout Faes (Liverpool vs. Leicester City, 2-1)
04-12-2024: Craig Dawson (Everton vs. Wolves, 4-0)
While Dawson’s ordeal grabbed the headlines, it wasn’t the only historic event of the match. Ashley Young, the evergreen 39-year-old right-back for Everton, made history of his own. In the tenth minute of the game, Young struck a sublime free kick that soared past the Wolves goalkeeper, marking the opening goal of the night. With this moment of brilliance, Young became the oldest player in Premier League history to score directly from a free kick, further cementing his legacy as a player capable of delivering in key moments, even at the twilight of his career.
The match’s records didn’t end there. Everton’s dominance was marked by their unrelenting pressure and clinical finishing, showcasing a side transformed from their earlier struggles this season. The emphatic victory gave Everton fans a reason to celebrate, as their team continues to climb the table under the leadership of Sean Dyche. For Wolves, however, the loss highlighted glaring weaknesses in their defense and the need for introspection, especially after such a dispiriting performance.
As for Dawson, the defender’s night of misfortune will likely be remembered for years to come. Football, though, is a sport of redemption, and Dawson will have opportunities to turn the narrative around in future matches. For now, however, he must endure the sting of an unfortunate night where history was made for all the wrong reasons.
Updated: 10:53, 5 Dec 2024
