Everton will host Southampton at Goodison Park in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, with a place in the fourth round on the line.
Everton are yet to pick up a single victory in the Premier League so far, and they have been quite mediocre with their performances. The EFL Cup third-round clash vs Southampton is a golden opportunity for Everton to bounce back in the cup competitions with a positive result, and it remains to be seen whether they can pick up a vital win here.
Meanwhile, Southampton are yet to pick up a single win in the Premier League as well. They will feel that a victory here could give them the confidence and the momentum to get their campaign back on track. The Saints will not want to crash out of the cup competitions this early, and they will certainly fancy their chances against a vulnerable Everton side.
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and they should be a cracking contest. It will be interesting to see which team comes out on top here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Everton have a number of injury problems to deal with. Armando Broja misses out with a calf injury, Nathan Patterson is out with a thigh injury, Jarrad Branthwaite is unavailable due to a groin injury, Dele Alli is suffering from a groin problem, Youssef Chermiti misses out with an ankle issue, while Seamus Coleman is dealing with a calf complaint.
The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Mason Holgate and Vitaliy Mykolenko will start as the full-backs. They will look to add defensive cover to the side and assist during counter-attacking situations as well.
James Tarkowski will start in the central defensive unit alongside Michael Keane. Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and creativity from the flanks.
James Garner and Idrissa Gueye should pair up in the middle of the park. They will look to add defensive cover to the side. Abdoulaye Doucoure will start as a central attacking midfielder, and he will add drive to the midfield. Beto will lead the line for Everton vs Southampton on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Pickford; Holgate, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Harrison, Garner, Gueye, McNeil; Doucoure; Beto
Southampton
The away side will be without Gavin Bazunu because of a long-term achilles injury. Meanwhile, Kamaldeen Sulemana has an ankle injury, and Jack Stephens is suspended after picking up a red card.
Southampton will shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Everton, with Alex McCarthy in goal. In the back three, Taylor Harwood-Bellis will start alongside Jan Bednarek and Nathan Wood. Yukinari Sugawara and Kyle Walker-Peters will start as the wing-backs. They will look to help out in the attack and protect the central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Joe Aribo will start alongside Flynn Downes and Will Smallbone. They will look to dominate the midfield and control the tempo of the game. Adam Armstrong will start alongside Ben Brereton Diaz in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): McCarthy; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Wood; Sugawara, Aribo, Smallbone, Downes, Walker-Peters; Armstrong, Diaz
Key Stats
- Everton have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Southampton have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Everton and Southampton have won three each from the last six meetings.
- 15 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Everton have conceded 13 goals in their last five outings and Southampton have let in 11 in that time.
Player to Watch
Beto
The Everton striker is our key player to watch out for. The Englishman managed to get on the scoresheet against Doncaster Rovers in the last round, and he will look to continue his impressive run of form in the League Cup.
He could cause all sorts of problems for a vulnerable Southampton defence with his movement and clinical finishing. Everton will need him to step up and deliver if they want to get through to the next round of the competition.
Everton 2-1 Southampton
Both teams are quite evenly matched, and this is likely to be a close contest. It will be hard to separate the two teams, but Everton have the better team on paper, and they should be able to grind out a positive result at home. The home fans will demand a strong reaction from the players after their recent performances, and a narrow victory is on the cards for the Toffees.
