Tonight's visitors to the Hill Dickinson Stadium are Wolverhampton Wanderers and there is a big score to settle after they dispatched a poor Blues side at the same stage last season. David Moyes is under immense pressure to show that he has the desire and the ability to deliver for Everton in the next round of the Carabao Cup.
The conundrum, of course, will be how to field a team that will get the required result while managing the confilcting constraints of individual players' match fitness and their needs for minutes in a competition that has for so long not been taken seriously.
No one can forget the dismissive words Moyes spouted when challenged about Everton's poor record under him in cup competitions, and his reply presented it as a choice between cup or league. Nothing could explain better his complete abrogation of responsibility when it comes to setting up his teams to properly compete in this competition.
So... will tonight be any different? It had better be, with a pretty strong team, Tarkowski, Branthwaite and George rested, Dibling finally getting a chance.
Former Everton goalkeepers, Joao Virginia starting and John Ruddy on the bench for the visitors.
First Half
Dewsbury-Hall kicked off and Everton played it around in their own half for the first minute before venturing forward and losing possession.
Dibling had a decent run interrupted, but nothing came of the free-kick.
Wolves got a free-kick that was taken pretty well, curling over the top corner of Pickford's goal. Everton tried to advance but Grealish committed another foul for Wolves, who had dominated the early exchanges.
Grealsih was hacked down by Tchachoua, who got an early yellow card for his poor effort. But Everton utterly failed to uuse the opportunity; Wolves turned it over, and Grealish committed a stupid foul for an early yellow card to him as well.
Everton finally got into the Wolves area after Dibling made a promising run but Hackney could not get a decent connection. Everton worked it around, Mykolenko forcing the first corner, gathered by the Wolves keeper.
Everton worked it around until Grealish put in a nice cross over the head of Barry and just beyond the far post. Grealish drove the Blues forward again but Mykolenko's cross was poor. Hackney tried to do his bit down the right but he was outwitted and fouled his man.
Neave appeared to be shoved over by O'Brien but no real penalty appeal, and Everton looked to build again but Dibling lost possession. Then Barry couldn't keep the ball in. The quality on show so far was frankly abysmal. At least Maitland-Niles had a go ad won another Everton corner.
Dewsbury-Hall but it was headed clear to Mykolenko, his shot blocked. But Everton won another corner, glanced into the side netting by O'Brien.
Grealish drew another typical foul, and he tried a clever ball over the top but Dewsbury-Hall couldn't reach it. A couple of decent Wolves attacks made the Hill Dickinson crowd a little more nervous as Everton were doing very little to impose themselves.
Finally, a great little run in along the byline by Dibling but Barry had come to the near post. After Jimenez took out Dibling, Hackney played a nice through a ball for Barry and it looked very much like the Everton forward was held back a little but he fought off the challenge. But Jimenez had hurt himself fouling Dibling and he had to be replaced by Adam Armstrong.
Tchatchoua tried a long-distance curler, way off target. Everton's build from the back was painfully slow until a long ball forward to Barry but that yeilded nothing. Dibling tried to advance but went backwards. The Blues got in into the area but Hackney couldn't wrap his foot around it.
Grealish got a nice chance to shoot from the dee, set up by Dewsbury-Hall after a great drive forward -- but it was his straight at Virginia with the whole goal to aim at. With 3 minutes added on, Everton were showing few signs of breaking the visitors down, with some really sloppy midfield play to boot.
But finally a great piece of play from Grealish, back to Garner whose cross picked out Barry at the far post, a fine header saved superbly one-handed, close in by Virginia.
But that was an aberration, the truly abysmal quality of the first half encapsulated in a dreadful attempt by O'Brien with the last kick of the half that flew miles over the Wolves goal.
Second Half
A nice run and pass forward by Dibling but the cross did not find Dewsbury-Hall. Everton got forward again, but no one wanted to shoot.
After better build-up work, a great ball from Dewsbury-Hall fizzed through to Barry just sailed right past the Everton centre-forward.
For Wolves, sub Armstrong burst forward and drove a great low cross in that went right through. Chirewa pulled baack Dibling but mo yellow card. Tchachoua pushed over Grealish, normally also a yellow card. But it was a horribly scrappy gae all round.
Neave broke forward, battleing past Mykolenko and played in Armstrong, Pickford pulling off a brilliant deparate lunging save with his foot. Grealish releasd Barry but he was overpowered by Toti.
Hackney looked to havve broken through but he went down to more cried for a penalty. Grealish frew another foul but Keane powered his shot over the bar.
Barrey was finally pulled off, Johnson on in his place just before the hour mark. Grealish played in Garner on the overlap but his cross was very poor, straight to Virginia, who took too long, Everton getting the corner.
Everton were finally playing up; Garner's shot was parried by Virginia, then the ball coming out ot Maitland-Niles who was encouraged to shoot but couldn't find the space, and Wolves survived a better spell by Everton.
A brilliant ball through by Dibling looked to have played in Johnson but he thought a deft touch was better than putting his foot through the ball to lift it over the goalie but Virginia got a leg to it.
Everton tried to play it down the left but it just wasn't working, Dewsbury-Hall stepping on the ball at a crucial moment. Wolves were not giving any quarter, and Everton just lacked the required quality and intensity; Johnson, Grealish and Hackney just not making it happen.
Everton tried to work it around again but it all came to nothing as Hackney played a poor cross through everyone and behind.
Wolves came forward and caused total panic, Moyes deciding on more late changes that took an age to come on. George went on a good run but could only chip his cross to Virginia.
Dibling fought his way forward but horribly sliced his shot. But his next intervention saw a great little pass to Charly Alcaraz (80') who curled his shot around Virginia and into the net. Brilliant finishing that Everton have lacked so much.
At the other end, Everton were at sixes and sevens, Pickford almost spilling a shot from Doyle. Everton kept giving the ball to Dibling, expecting hom ro do something... but he just stalled and retreated each time, to keep possession as time ticked by.
Pickford with a hospital pass to O'Brien saw a foul called, O'Brien glacing the free-kick behind for a late Wolves corner. But Everton broke through Dewsbury-Hall, Doyle pulling him back: yellow card. But Garner wasted the free-kick. George tried to create something, but again Dibling was so slow and easily shepherded out to the corner.
A late Wolves flurry ended what had been a pretty awful game that Everton scrapped through thanks to Charly Alcaraz.
Team News
Everton: Pickford, Mai tland-Niles, O'Brien, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Hackney (77' Alcaraz), Dewsbury-Hall, Dibling, Grealish [Y:11'] (77' George), Barry (58' Johnson).
Subs: Travers, King, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, (77' Alcaraz) Graham, Olayiwola.
Wolves: Virginia; Tchachoua [Y:10'], Toti, Krejci, Konan; Traore, James (63' Bellegarde), Doyle, Chirewa; Neave, Jimenez
Subs: Ruddy, Trippier, Bueno, Muntesi, Armstrong, Traore, Djiga, Mane
Match Officials
Referee: Thomas Bramall
Assistant Referee 1: Timothy Wood
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Dallison
Fourth Official: John Busby
Live Forum
Reader Comments (74)
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1 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:42:45
Two goalies AGAIN FFS Moyes put Loney on the bench not gonna need three fucking keepers - strong side though but fuck me Moyes 🙄
2 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:44:21
Quite a positive team change, if things are not going to plan, a strong bench to change things round a bit.
As always, one of my criticisms of Moyes is his timing of changes, make them early, if plan A is not working, don't leave it till 5 minutes from the final whistle !
3 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:45:47
Decent looking team with it being a cup game. Glad Dibling is starting, hope he has a good game,
4 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:48:16
That should be a strong enough team to go through.
Happy to see Hackney getting a game sitting in front of the back four.
Give Harrison a rest to prepare for Saturday.
Up the Toffees
5 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:48:28
Not gonna need Loney either, if there’s a disaster and Pickford gets injured, 2 keepers makes more sense than a kid who’s never going to get on.
6 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:49:57
Mike, other teams have 2 goalies as subs. Not unusual. If the main goalie gets sent off and the replacement gets injured, then at least there's another back up etc
7 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:50:15
Where is the game on TV? I read it was on Sky but I only see Man Utd v Brighton and Coventry v Villa listed?
8 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:50:58
No don’t go with three goalies one might get injured - he’s got two U21’s another won’t make a difference and gives the lad confidence and the possibility of getting a few minutes
9 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:53:38
Having 2 keepers on the bench never makes sense. Not when a younger players could get some first team interaction.
At least makes the young players feel they have some pathway to the first team.
They might have no chance if any game time, but neither do 2 keepers. Possibly one, definitely not 2
15 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:57:55
16 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:58:22
Exactly my point Annika that’s what the academy is for and getting slated for not producing enough for the first team
19 Posted 16/09/2026 at 18:59:33
20 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:00:20
Good to see ‘Officer Dibble’ get a start.
This is your big chance, son. Make a fucking (positive) impact!
UTFT!!!
21 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:00:36
22 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:01:32
Quite impressive - James Garner
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/crwyz819xw4po
24 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:10:25
This lad Olayiwola looks quite a specimen and a potential handful from the bits I have seen in the U 18's.
Hopefull if we are a few goals up he or Graham or both may get a spin
25 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:12:18
If you have a sky box and search for Everton then Everton v Wolves shows up and takes you to Sky+ (I think it's an app on the box) - at the moment it's just saying upcoming soni guess coverage will start at or just before kick off.
26 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:14:45
Let's hope Virginia doesn't have one of those games. Let's hope we don't have one of those games. Wolves make 8 changes.
Manure make 6 changes, Brighton 7 changes and Villa 5 changes. We've made 5 - very modest.
No VAR ?
27 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:15:43
Stuart...BOSH! Yes, that's worked - I found it on my Now app like that. Nothing happening yet apart from the front page but as you say...
Cheers, man
28 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:16:33
Like most Prem.clubs starting with a "second eleven" is the norm but Everton have almost a full team with the changes only at central defence and Dibling coming in.
Hopefully the attitude is right and they go for the jugular early.
No annoying penalty shootout please.
30 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:17:21
John I Hope Armstrong is not injured just rested, Wolves have 9 changes from the weekend, so hopefully no surprises tonight.
33 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:30:56
37 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:34:43
48 Posted 16/09/2026 at 19:48:40
63 Posted 16/09/2026 at 20:47:20
Only complacency will lose us this game.
Need to step up the intensity and just put more balls into box when we have the opportunity. Need to have more dummy runners pulling their defenders out of formation. There is obviously a reluctance to play a long ball up for Barry to contest but on the odd occasion it happens someone needs to be busting a gut to be backing him up instead of just allowing them the second ball unopposed.
Dibling is still too reluctant to take on his full back despite getting the best of him a few times so far.
Game is there for the taking but it’s not as if we have total control and an early goal in this half looks like an absolute necessity to get Wolves properly disjointed.
Ramp it up from the whistle until game is beyond them. Come on you Blues!
67 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:40:05
Pleased for Alcaraz and Dibling. I thought Grealish played well.
Highlight of the night: not one long limp ball from Pickford...
Dopey dithering Dave got lucky again.
68 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:40:44
Hopefully Moyes sees sense now, and knows that Alcaraz deserves a chance to claim a place.
He hasn't given him a chance up to now, and the same for O'Brien.
71 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:44:37
72 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:44:38
Didn't agree with much that the commentators said (seemed to be reliant on highlight reels rather than in depth analysis of some of our players) but can't disagree with ‘not entirely convincing but job done' summing up.
As a proven goal threat Charly Alcaraz should be getting more game time. Not sure what his ‘animated sock puppet' goal celebration was meant to indicate.
Pickford's once pretty reliable distribution has become very ropey this season.
73 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:48:58
Dibling's first truly impressive performance as a Blue.
MotM for me.
We win and United lose at home.
Perfect day.
74 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:51:54
Another clean sheet, with a different CB pairing. We score without a CF on the pitch. Dibling MOTM in the Stadium. That will do him the world of good. Grealish has 60 minutes under his belt, that will help with his return to full fitness. Garner getting fitter by the game. AMN looking settled at RB.
75 Posted 16/09/2026 at 21:53:13
Pleased for Dibling. There is a footballer there. I am not convinced he is a winger, but technically he can play.
77 Posted 16/09/2026 at 22:00:19
This has just come up in my Google feeds
https://football-italia.net/friedkin-group-focus-roma-could-sell-everton/amp/
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