Mark Carney and Andy Burnham before the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Tony McArdle - Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images
Mark Carney and Andy Burnham before the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Tony McArdle - Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images
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Tyler Dibling’s man-of-the-match display allowed him to challenge for the national media headlines after Everton’s win over Wolves.
The 20-year-old showed flashes of the promise that led Everton to pay £35m for him 12 months ago and, after a difficult first season, many around the club will be hoping his performance in the 1-0 victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium marks a turning point.
His impact, which included the assist for Carlos Alcaraz’s late winner, meant he was able to compete with the attendance of Andy Burnham and Mark Carney, prime ministers of the UK and Canada respectively, in the battle for the narrative.
The role played by Dibling was the main focus of Paul Joyce, writing in the Times. He stated: “David Moyes has made no apologies over the past year for dishing out some tough love to Tyler Dibling, and finally there are signs that his approach is beginning to pay off.
“Dibling’s Everton career has barely shifted out of first gear since his arrival from Southampton last summer for a £35m fee, yet there was a moment in the victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers that may, in time, be pinpointed as significant.
“The 20-year-old winger had shown great vision to deliver a defence-splitting pass from which the substitute Brennan Johnson was thwarted by goalkeeper Joao Virgínia in the 65th minute and might have allowed frustration to set in. Instead, Dibling recognised the threat Wolves posed on the counterattack and chased back 40 yards before producing a perfectly timed tackle to stop Tawanda Chirewa from threatening Jordan Pickford’s goal.”
In the Telegraph, Dominic King suggested Dibling’s work in that moment hinted the “penny may have dropped” on his understanding of how to please Moyes, but led on the world leaders in the stands as he wrote: “David Moyes did not flicker, as the tension was lanced. But the prime ministers of Great Britain and Canada certainly did, along with their fellow Evertonians after an escape thanks to Charly Alcaraz.
“Andy Burnham will be a regular at Hill Dickinson Stadium this season. He sat next to Everton legend Peter Reid on his first visit in August but, this time, he had Mark Carney for company, whose love for the club traces back to him having distant relatives from Liverpool.
“Football is recognised as the 'most important of the least important things' and Burnham, grieving the loss of his father, Roy, would have welcomed the diversion of a Carabao Cup tie with Wolves to provide a momentary distraction. Everton honoured his father’s memory with a tribute on the big screen.”
While Dibling took the plaudits, there was no shortage of praise for Wolves keeper Virginia, who made a string of excellent saves on his return to the club where he spent six years.
Jude Winter, writing for the BBC, said: “In a game of few chances, Everton were kept out by their former keeper Joao Virginia, who was handed a start for Wolves against the club where he spent seven years before leaving in 2025 for Sporting. His best contribution was to stop a close-range header from Thierno Barry before the break.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Tawanda Chirewa of Wolverhampton Wanderers runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Tyler Dibling of Everton during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 16, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Tawanda Chirewa of Wolverhampton Wanderers runs with the ball while under pressure from Tyler Dibling of Everton during the Carabao Cup match at Hill Dickinson Stadium (Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
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But Dibling was the big story, and therefore the focus in the ECHO: "The victory was important but the winner of Everton's man-of-the-match award felt almost as significant. With a threadbare forward line relying on young stars stepping up and mercurial talents finding form and consistency, David Moyes really needs Tyler Dibling to emerge as a trustworthy option this season.
“Against Wolves, he showed flashes of promise. Finally, there are hints the starlet might be on the cusp of a breakthrough after a miserable first season on Merseyside. Dibling got the assist for Carlos Alcaraz’s match-winning goal, the 20-year-old standing up two opponents inside the visitors’ box before poking the ball through to the substitute. Alcaraz did well, turning in the box and curling the ball beyond Joao Virginia to spare the Blues from the lottery of a penalty shootout.
“But Dibling will get the headlines. His best moment was the assist he should have got.
“With Everton pushing for the opening goal they deserved but had not found in the first hour, Dibling read the distant run of Brennan Johnson and slid an inch-perfect ball behind the Wolves backline. Johnson latched onto the pass and hit the target but was denied by Virginia, who was excellent on his return to the club he spent six years at.
“In a phase of play that would have delighted Moyes, Dibling did not stop to admire his pass. Instead, he was one of the first to react as Wolves countered. It was the England Under-21s international who raced back and challenged Tawanda Chirewa, dispossessing the winger on the edge of the box. The crowd loved that tackle, as did Jake O’Brien, who championed Dibling as he picked himself off the turf.
“There were other good signs from Dibling, who nutmegged Chirewa in a first half in which he almost created the opening goal by beating his man, reaching the byline and crossing into a melee of players.
“The first sign that he could take genuine heart from this display came in the 77th minute, when Moyes made attacking changes but chose to leave Dibling on. The second came 90 seconds after the final whistle, when it was announced he had swept almost 60% of the vote to win player of the match. That announcement was met by a roar.”