Everton will welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Wednesday night for an EFL Cup third-round clash between two sides enjoying respectable starts to their respective campaigns.
Everton currently sit seventh in the Premier League, while Wolves occupy seventh in the Championship and arrive in Merseyside after finally recording their first league clean sheet.
David Moyes’s men have made a solid start despite some frustration surrounding their summer transfer business. The Toffees have gone four Premier League matches unbeaten since their opening-weekend victory over Crystal Palace. Three of those four matches have ended in draws, including Saturday’s goalless stalemate with Tottenham Hotspur.
Everton’s defensive organisation has been particularly encouraging. Saturday’s result represented their third clean sheet in five matches across all competitions. They also enjoyed an emphatic start to their EFL Cup campaign, defeating Preston North End 4-0 in the second round.
The biggest concern is converting draws into victories. Everton have repeatedly shown resilience, including late equalisers against Bournemouth and Manchester United, but they now need to turn that competitiveness into more three-point results.
Wolves have endured a demanding run of fixtures, with Wednesday’s match representing their fourth consecutive away game. Their recent schedule has included trips to West Ham United, Birmingham City and Sheffield United, with the latter producing an important breakthrough.
Raul Jimenez’s late goal secured a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane, while Wolves finally recorded their first Championship clean sheet of the campaign. That result should provide a significant confidence boost to Cesar Peixoto, particularly given that defensive consistency has been one of Wolves’ major weaknesses. The victory leaves them seventh in the Championship, just three points behind leaders West Ham with a game in hand.
Wolves have already demonstrated that they can trouble Everton in this competition, having beaten the Toffees in last season’s EFL Cup. They also drew 1-1 in the corresponding league fixture last season, meaning Everton should not expect an easy evening despite their higher position in the English football pyramid.
Everton’s defensive solidity could be crucial. Their ability to keep Wolves quiet for long periods should allow Moyes’ side to control the tempo. Wolves, meanwhile, will likely look to use their attacking pace in transition rather than attempting to dominate possession.
The home side’s biggest challenge will be breaking down a Wolves side that has finally found some defensive stability. The visitors’ victory at Sheffield United showed they can win tight matches, while Everton have become increasingly comfortable in low-scoring contests.
The hosts will therefore need to make their possession count. If they can score first, their defensive record suggests they will be well placed to manage the game. For Wolves, the priority will be to remain compact and frustrate Everton for as long as possible. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
Everton are expected to rotate their squad for the EFL Cup tie, with Jake O’Brien, Michael Keane, Hayden Hackney, Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Grealish, and Tyler Dibling all pushing for starts. David Moyes may also hand an opportunity to 18-year-old Braiden Graham, particularly with Everton needing to carefully manage Thierno Barry’s workload due to their limited options at centre-forward.
Merlin Rohl will be assessed after missing Saturday’s goalless draw with Tottenham, while Christian Norgaard remains unavailable until after the September international break. Everton are expected to retain a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Jordan Pickford in goal and O’Brien, Keane, James Tarkowski, and Vitaliy Mykolenko forming the back four.
James Garner should operate as the holding midfielder, protecting the defence while allowing the four attacking midfielders greater freedom. Further forward, Dibling, Hackney, Alcaraz, and Grealish are expected to support Barry.
Grealish’s return to the starting XI would provide Everton with an important creative outlet. His ability to carry the ball and create chances from wide areas could be particularly useful against Wolves, who only recently recorded their first Championship clean sheet.
Everton’s defensive solidity should allow Moyes to rotate without completely sacrificing structure. The Toffees have kept three clean sheets in their last five matches across all competitions, so maintaining that organisation will be key.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Pickford; O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner; Dibling, Hackney, Alcaraz, Grealish; Barry
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves are expected to make several changes for Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie, with Joao Virginia in line to make his debut against his former club. Ghislain Konan and Sean Neave could also make their first starts following their deadline-day arrivals, giving Cesar Peixoto an opportunity to assess some of his newer options.
Despite returning from injury on Sunday, Kieran Trippier is unlikely to be risked from the start. Nasser Djiga will also miss out after being withdrawn during the second half of the victory over Sheffield United. Young defender Saheed Olagunju is expected to receive another opportunity after scoring against Sheffield Wednesday in the previous EFL Cup round. Recent signing Bertrand Traore is likely to begin on the bench.
Wolves should line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Virginia behind Jackson Tchatchoua, Olagunju, Toti Gomes, and Konan. Boubacar Traore and Tommy Doyle are expected to form the midfield pairing, while Neave, Jordan James, and Rodrigo Gomes operate behind Raúl Jiménez.
The rotation could affect Wolves’ attacking rhythm, but Raul Jimenez provides an experienced focal point and arrives after scoring the late winner against Sheffield United. The main challenge will be maintaining the defensive organisation that finally produced their first Championship clean sheet at the weekend. With Everton likely to field several creative players, Wolves’ young defensive unit will need to remain disciplined.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Virginia; Tchatchoua, Olagunju, T Gomes, Konan; Bo Traore, Doyle; Neave, James, R Gomes; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Everton are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches.
- Everton have kept three clean sheets in their last five matches across all competitions, including the 0-0 draw with Tottenham and the 4-0 EFL Cup win over Preston.
- Wolves have won their last two matches.
- Wolves have scored in five consecutive competitive matches, including four goals against Stoke and two against Birmingham, before the 1-0 win at Sheffield United.
- Wolves beat Everton 2-0 in last season’s EFL Cup, while the corresponding Premier League fixture ended 1-1.
Player to Watch
Jack Grealish
Grealish is expected to return to Everton’s starting XI as David Moyes rotates his squad, giving the Toffees an experienced creative presence in the attacking midfield line. His ability to carry the ball, draw defenders and create chances from wide areas could be particularly important against a Wolves side expected to make several changes of their own.
Everton’s cup victory over Preston was a convincing 4-0 success, and Grealish should have opportunities to dictate the attacking tempo if the home side dominate possession. With Wolves likely to rely on a relatively youthful defence, Grealish’s experience and creativity could prove decisive in the final third.
Prediction
Everton 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Everton’s home advantage, stronger defensive record and Premier League experience give them the edge, although Wolves’ recent victory and first clean sheet should ensure this is a competitive cup tie. David Moyes’s side have been difficult to beat all season and should have enough quality to progress.
