Wolverhampton Wanderers found a spark in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
African pair Marshall Munetsi and Tolu Arokodare struck in each half to seal a 2-0 win over Everton at Molineux.
Munetsi, the Zimbabwe international, broke the deadlock midway through the first half, capitalizing after Jhon Arias’ volley was parried by Everton goalkeeper Mark Travers.
Nigerian forward Arokodare then wrapped up the result three minutes from time with a composed finish, marking his first goal for Wolves since arriving from Genk in a £23m summer deal.
The victory lifts some of the gloom around Wolves, who have endured their worst-ever start to a Premier League season with five straight defeats.
Manager Vitor Pereira admitted the pressure is on but believes back-to-back cup wins could be the springboard for revival.
“The time for adaptation has finished. This is the time to perform and help the team,” Pereira said in a post match interview.
Wolves had earlier survived scares as Sam Johnstone tipped over Michael Keane’s header and James Garner rattled the bar with a free-kick, but the Premier League strugglers held firm before their African stars delivered the decisive moments.
The win sends Wolves into the fourth round of the competition, where they will hope to build further momentum ahead of Saturday’s league clash with Tottenham.
