Everton return to Carabao Cup action on Wednesday night, as they prepare for a rematch of last season’s matchup in Round 3 against Wolves. This time, the Blues will be at the Hill Dickinson Stadium instead of Molineux, looking to right the wrongs of a dismal 2-0 defeat at this stage last season.
Everton are (somehow) still unbeaten this season, with two wins and three draws in that time, as well as three clean sheets. On the one hand, it’s clearly positive that Everton are proving hard to beat; they look well-drilled at the back, for the most part, and have shown a ‘never say die’ attitude so far. However, Saturday’s 0-0 draw away at Spurs has left a sour taste in the mouth regardless. Everton were all over the place for the first twenty minutes, with Savio looking like a serious threat every time he came forward, and the midfield was non-existent. After that, the performance was much better, and a draw was a fair result, however a better opposition on the day would have put Everton to bed long before half time. It’s fortunate that Spurs are useless in front of goal. Anyway, a point is a decent result at a ground where the Toffees have struggled in recent years, and I would have taken that before the game.
In terms of Wednesday’s opponents, Wolves have underwhelmed in their league campaign following their relegation from the top tier last season, however their start to the season is hardly cause for concern in comparison to that of Burnley’s. Their only defeat as of now has been away at West Ham, who are likely to run away with the league anyway, and I still predict Wolves to finish as runners-up with the quality they have managed to keep hold of. After coming into the cup in Round 1, Wolves have netted five goals without reply, with a 3-0 win against Port Vale followed by a 2-0 win away at Sheffield Wednesday. Make no mistake, despite being a division below Everton, Wolves are far from your average Championship side.
Everton and Wolves – History
As mentioned, Wolves knocked Everton out at this stage of the cup last season, with a 2-0 win against a weakened Everton side.
Of the last six matches between these sides, both have won two. Perfectly balanced.
The first match between these sides was contested in 1889. Wolves won 5-0.
Team News
As of the time of writing, there are no fresh injury concerns for Everton. Christian Norgaard remains sidelined with an unconfirmed return date.
Everton Key Player
Jack Grealish – I expect Manchester City loanee to make his first start on his return to Everton on Wednesday evening. It seems like the ideal opportunity for Grealish to build up some much-needed match fitness before a lengthy international break, in a game where Everton will be expected to have most of the ball, with most of their attacks going through him. Despite David Moyes outright stating that Grealish was ‘ready to start’ against Spurs at the weekend, he began the match on the bench, with Tyrique George and Brennan Johnson being the preferred choice of wingers. That pairing hardly made an impact in the game, however, meaning that Moyes will be keen to get some all-important minutes in the legs.
Much was said about Grealish’s inevitable Deadline Day return to Everton, particularly due to the impressive pre-season from Tyrique George which carried on over to the league season. On the one hand, Grealish’s quality is undeniable – you don’t play a key role in a treble-winning side if you don’t have heaps of it, however the sizable loan fee and wages were, of course, a concern. To add to this, concerns were raised about how he could potentially stunt the progress of the younger wingers in the squad. Already this season, it’s clear to see that Moyes does not trust Tyler Dibling in the slightest, so his growth would have been stunted regardless, so it probably made sense to sign Grealish for the cheapest price possible. Overall, it’s great to see him back in an Everton shirt, and his performance off the bench against Manchester United the other week reminded everyone of his incredible quality. I’m backing him to score his first goal on his return on Wednesday.
One to Watch for Wolves
Fer Lopez – On paper, this Wolves side should make a mockery of the Championship, and that’s certainly how Lopez has started the season. The Spaniard already had four goals and two assists this campaign, with five of those contributions coming in the league in just six matches. Lopez struggled to make an impact in the Premier League last season when he did play, before being loaned back to Celta Vigo for the second half of the season, however at just 22 years old, a season in a lower league could be just what he needs to build up some more first-team experience. He’s definitely one to keep an eye on for the future.
Everton’s midfield has been an area of weakness all season. Following the departure of Idrissa Gana Gueye in summer and the injury woes of Christian Norgaard, the Blues seriously lack a traditional number six, who will mop up any loose balls and allow the other midfielders to kick on forward. As a result of this, it has been far too easy for opposition midfielders to play through the centre, and if Lopez starts in his usual position of attacking midfield, this will almost certainly be the area which Wolves will look to target on Wednesday.
Final Thoughts
Everton have a brilliant chance to go into the lengthy international break with an unbeaten start to the season, with the two games left before then being against a Championship side and a newly-promoted side. Whilst, at times, it has felt like Everton have had a dismal start to the season, the results are slowly proving otherwise, and these next few days could be huge in paving the way for the rest of the season.
That being said, everyone must be wary of Wolves and the threat they face. Despite their overall dreadful season last time out, they still had periods of good form, even managing a draw against Arsenal and a win against Liverpool. To dismiss them as just a ‘Championship side’ would be a mistake and wouldn’t do them any justice, after seeing how many of their Premier League players they have retained.
In terms of a prediction, I will go for a 1-0 win to Everton. Whilst Wolves’ threats are clear to see, this is a game where Everton will be expected to have most of the ball and I think they will come out on top in a cagey yet relatively comfortable affair. Bear in mind, this tie will go straight to penalties if it is level at 90 minutes, so a second goal would definitely help calm the nerves.
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