The first taste of cup action at Hill Dickinson Stadium will see Everton and Mansfield Town lock horns for the first time, when they meet in a EFL Cup second round tie this Wednesday.
Remarkably, Mansfield never played a senior match at Goodison Park during its 133-year history, but they will now be just the second opponents to visit Everton’s new venue on the banks of the River Mersey.
Match preview
In this historic clash, the tenants of the EFL’s oldest stadium, Field Mill, first opened in 1861, will travel to English football’s newest, which only got its first taste of competitive action at the weekend.
It was a day to remember for all 50,000 Evertonians who embarked on Bramley-Moore Dock on Sunday, as they marked the official opening of their new stadium with a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, earning them their first Premier League win of the season.
The win was a much-needed morale-booster, after a woeful display away to Leeds United on the opening weekend, and it leaves Everton in the top half of the table for the first time since November 2021.
Iliman Ndiaye netted the first goal at the new ground, just three months after scoring the final goal at Goodison, and James Garner added to the advantage with an excellent long-range strike in the second half, before the home crowd had more to cheer when Jordan Pickford saved Danny Welbeck’s tame penalty.
All of the headlines were about Jack Grealish though, as the Manchester City loanee provided both assists on his full Everton debut, endearing himself to the supporters with a vintage display, reminiscent of those at Aston Villa, which led to his £100m transfer.
After ending a seven-game losing run and a 12-game winless streak in Premier League games played in August, Everton will now hope to continue a more positive streak in the EFL Cup, as they have not lost at home to lower-league opponents in this competition since 1999, when Oxford United beat them in a second-round replay.
The dream for every Everton fan this season is for a cup run, after seeing Crystal Palace and Newcastle United end long, long waits for silverware earlier this year, and Mansfield offer the first obstacle.
Mansfield Town player Lee Gregory during his side's League One match against Birmingham City, on 26 October 2024
It could be trickier than many are envisaging, because ex-Liverpool man Nigel Clough has got the Stags playing some excellent football at present.
A 2-0 win over Chesterfield away from home in the first leg has been the catalyst behind a wonderful run of results in League One, where Mansfield began the season as one of the favourites for relegation.
However, despite losing their first two games to Burton Albion and Doncaster Rovers, Clough’s men have won three in a row following the first-round victory, beating Exeter City, Blackpool and Leyton Orient.
The latter of those three wins was an eye-catching 4-1 success at the weekend, which means Mansfield are now League One’s joint-top scorers with 10, and it places them ninth, just a point off the playoff places, and a whopping seven points clear of relegation already.
Everton form (all competitions):
L W
Mansfield Town EFL Cup form:
W
Mansfield Town form (all competitions):
L L W W W W
Team News
Everton's Jack Grealish holds off Leeds United's Jayden Bogle on August 18, 2025
A very small squad at David Moyes’s disposal means he cannot rotate heavily for this one, so a few of Sunday’s starters will be needed again here.
Sunday’s standout performers Grealish and Ndiaye could be rested in favour of Carlos Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil, while soon-to-be 36-year-old Idrissa Gueye also deserves a break, after two games of tireless running in midfield.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitality Mykolenko are currently missing with injury, while Nathan Patterson is set for a move to Sevilla, so the hosts are short at the back, and that could see James Tarkowski and Michael Keane start again in the centre.
Mansfield were able to welcome George Maris, Stephen McLaughlin and Ryan Sweeney back from injury for their win over Leyton Orient on Saturday, with all three coming on as second-half substitutes.
Rhys Oates failed a late fitness test though and could remain out, along with injured trio Joe Gardner, Deji Oshilaja and Lee Greogry.
Max Dickov is a new recruit from Brentford, and he has instantly become a regular in midfield, starting the last two matches since his move in mid-August, and he should be in the XI once more.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Travers; Coleman, Tarkowski, Keane, Aznou; Iroegbunam, Garner; Alcaraz, Armstrong, McNeil; Beto
Mansfield Town possible starting lineup:
Roberts; Evans, Bowery, Sweeney, Cargill, Blake-Tracy; Lewis, Maris, Dickov, McAdam; Dwyer
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We say: Everton 2-0 Mansfield Town
A lack of strength in depth means Everton cannot rotate much, so a strong side is expected, and one that should do the job against third-tier opposition.
After returning to the EFL in 2013, Mansfield had only reached the second round in two of those previous 12 seasons before their win earlier this month, and while they are big favourites to be eliminated here, they will want to cherish this big away day.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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