The Hill Dickinson Stadium will host the sixth and final all-Premier League tie in the EFL Cup fourth round as Everton host Newcastle United.
Newcastle United will look to build on their recent victory when they travel to face Everton in the EFL Cup. Both sides will be eager to secure a place in the quarter-finals, but the Magpies will be confident of getting the job done. With the two teams set to meet again in the Premier League just a few days later, a win here could also give a psychological advantage heading into their next encounter.
The home team are 11th in the Premier League with 10 points in their eight outings. David Moyes’s men have been winless in their last three games, including defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal. While they did have enough of the ball in their last outing against the Gunners, the Toffees never really made it count.
The Merseyside outfit will have to do much better to take down Newcastle, who have gained some momentum over the past week. Meanwhile, the Toffees defeated Preston North End 4-0 in the second round, before taking down Wolves 1-0 to set up this all-Premier League tie against the Magpies.
The visitors are eighth in the Premier League with 11 points in their eight outings. After back-to-back league defeats at the hands of Coventry and Aston Villa, the Tyneside club finally returned to winning ways against Crystal Palace last time out.
While both teams created chances, the Magpies were more clinical in the final third and ended up securing a comfortable 2-0 win. The three points will give them a lot of confidence heading into this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Everton
David Moyes remains without the services of Jarrad Branthwaite (concussion), while Jack Grealish remains a doubt, having missed their last outing because of illness. Lack of squad depth means the manager won’t be able to make wholesale changes to his preferred XI, but he will certainly hand some fringe players valuable minutes here.
Everton are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Newcastle United, with Jordan Pickford starting in goal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Vitaliy Mykolenko should occupy the full-back positions, while Jake O’Brien is expected to pair up with Michael Keane at the heart of the defence.
Hayden Hackney and Harrison Armstrong are likely to form the midfield double pivot, providing defensive cover while helping Everton progress the ball. Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George should operate on the flanks, with Carlos Alcaraz taking up the attacking midfield role behind Thierno Barry.
Everton will look to make the most of their attacking options, with Dibling’s direct running and George’s pace offering threats from wide areas. Alcaraz will be tasked with linking midfield and attack, while Barry will lead the line and look to capitalise on the chances created.
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Maitland-Niles, O’Brien, Keane, Mykolenko; Hackney, Armstrong; Dibling, Alcaraz, George; Barry
Newcastle United
Matthias Jaissle will be without the services of Tino Livramento (knee) and Ewen Jaouen (thigh), while Matias Fernandez-Pardo (illness) and Lewis Miley (knock) are both major doubts. He is unlikely to make too many changes and is expected to name a very strong XI to take down Premier League rivals Everton.
Newcastle will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Everton, with Lukas Hornicek starting in goal. Amar Dedic and Lewis Hall will feature as the full-backs, while Malick Thiaw will line up alongside Sven Botman in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez and Jacob Ramsey are likely to form the double pivot, providing defensive cover while helping Newcastle control possession. Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes should operate on the flanks, with Yoane Wissa taking up the attacking midfield role behind William Osula.
Newcastle will look to use their pace and attacking quality to put Everton under pressure. Elanga and Barnes can stretch the opposition from wide areas, while Wissa’s movement between the lines could help create openings for Osula.
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Hornicek; Dedic, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Gonzalez, Ramsey; Elanga, Wissa, Barnes; Osula
Key Stats
- Everton have won just two out of their last five home games against Newcastle United.
- The Toffees have bagged five goals and have kept a clean sheet in their last two EFL Cup outings.
- Newcastle United have won three out of their last five away matches.
- Everton have won three out of their last four matches against Newcastle United.
- The two sides have met 31 times, with Everton claiming 16 wins, compared to Newcastle United’s 10.
Player to Watch
Anthony Elanga
Elanga was off to a flying start to the new season with two goals in his first two league outings against Liverpool and Tottenham, but things have only gone downhill for him ever since. The Swede has failed to contribute towards another goal since and was out of their squad for four league games because of a hamstring issue.
He returned to action with a cameo against Crystal Palace last time out, and there are high chances of him getting a starting role here. The 24-year-old will be eager to get his season back on track with a top performance here.
Prediction
Everton 1-2 Newcastle United
Everton will be keen to bounce back from their recent struggles and make home advantage count. However, their lack of cutting edge in the final third could prove costly against a Newcastle side that showed greater clinical quality in their win over Crystal Palace. The Magpies also have the pace to trouble Everton on the counter-attack.
With a place in the quarter-finals at stake, the hosts should make this a competitive contest, but Newcastle’s attacking quality could give them the edge. The visitors are backed to secure a narrow victory and progress to the next round. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
