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Everton
Wolverhampton WanderersThe EFL Cup third round always throws up at least one fixture that gets the juices flowing, and Everton hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers on a Wednesday night under the lights at Hill Dickinson Stadium is exactly that kind of game. On paper it looks straightforward enough, a Premier League side against Championship opposition, but there is enough history between these two clubs, and enough intrigue around both squads right now, to make this well worth your attention.
David Moyes has quietly been putting together something at Everton this season, a foundation being laid with clean sheets and late points salvaged rather than free flowing football. Wolves, meanwhile, are proving that life in the Championship under Cesar Peixoto is far from a disaster. They sit seventh, they play on the front foot, and they have already shown this competition no respect by beating Everton in it last season. This is not a free hit for the Toffees. Moyes will know it, and so will his players.
Everton take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup third round at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Wednesday 16th September 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 7:45pm. This is a one legged affair, with the winner progressing to the last sixteen.
Moyes has a lengthy squad to pick from but also a few names to monitor carefully ahead of this one. The cup offers a chance to rotate and give fringe players some minutes, and he will likely take full advantage of that, though there are some genuine selection decisions to make rather than just wholesale changes.
For Wolves, this fixture comes off the back of a gruelling run of four consecutive away games in the league, and Peixoto will have one eye on freshening things up while also wanting to go deep in this competition.
Moyes is expected to make a clutch of changes while keeping enough quality on the pitch to see the job done. Pickford should keep his place in goal, with O’Brien and Keane joining Tarkowski in central areas. Grealish, Hackney, Alcaraz and Dibling offer creativity and energy through the middle and wide positions, and Barry likely leads the line even with his minutes being rationed.
Everton predicted lineup: Pickford; O’Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner; Dibling, Hackney, Alcaraz, Grealish; Barry
Peixoto is expected to go with a mix of new faces and those knocking on the door for more game time. Virginia gets his debut in goal, Olagunju slots in at the back after his cup goal last round, and Konan and Neave get their first starts. Jimenez leads the line and remains the biggest attacking threat Wolves will carry into this one.
Wolverhampton Wanderers predicted lineup: Virginia; Tchatchoua, Olagunju, T Gomes, Konan; Bo Traore, Doyle; Neave, James, R Gomes; Jimenez
Everton are unbeaten in four Premier League games to open the season, but the honest assessment of that run is that it has been built on late equalisers rather than dominance. They came from behind to draw against both Bournemouth and Manchester United in stoppage time, which tells you they have resilience and character but also that they have been exposed at times. The 0-0 at Spurs on Saturday made it three draws from the last three league games, which is the kind of form that keeps you in the conversation at this stage but does not exactly set pulses racing. The one genuine performance of real quality came in the cup itself, where they put Preston to the sword 4-0 in the second round, which is relevant here because it shows what this squad can do when the shackles are off against lower tier opposition.
Wolves’ recent form is an interesting story. Their Championship campaign has had its bumps, with only one point picked up from trips to West Ham and Birmingham before Sunday’s win at Sheffield United. That 1-0 victory, secured by a Raul Jimenez late goal, was actually their first clean sheet of the Championship season, which flags up that their defence has been leaky. Peixoto’s side play attractive, progressive football but they have regularly been punished at the back, and that is something Everton’s attacking players will have noted. The win at Bramall Lane was important for morale and momentum, but it came against a side that Wolves had to dig deep to beat rather than brush aside.
What that form picture tells you is that Everton are the more settled outfit right now, with Premier League quality throughout even when rotating, while Wolves carry genuine threat going forward but come into this game with real vulnerability at the back after three consecutive games away from home in the league.
The recent history between these two sides adds a layer of genuine interest to the occasion. Wolves beat Everton in last season’s EFL Cup, though that was at Molineux rather than on Merseyside, so Peixoto’s side will be confident they can mix it with the Toffees in a cup environment. Equally telling is the fact that the corresponding fixture at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League last season ended 1-1, so Wolves know they can come here and get something.
That said, Everton will take heart from the fact that their home form in recent seasons has generally been solid, and with a squad that has more quality in every position than the Championship visitors, the expectation will be that they impose themselves on this game rather than finding themselves in a scrap. The head to head says Wolves are not here to make up the numbers, but the Premier League versus Championship gap in terms of squad depth is hard to overcome over ninety minutes.
The gulf in class between a mid table Premier League side and a mid table Championship side is real, even allowing for Wolves’ genuine quality under Peixoto. Factor in that Wolves are fielding several players who have not started for the club before, and that their defensive record this season has been poor, and Everton look like strong favourites who are worth backing to win this comfortably. The question for the betting markets is really about goals and margins rather than who wins the game.
Yes to both teams scoring. Wolves have Jimenez leading the line and he is a proven goalscorer at the highest level even in the Championship. Everton’s defence, while improved, has not been airtight, and with a rotated back four that includes some unfamiliar combinations, there is enough of a chance Wolves find the net. Meanwhile, Everton created four against Preston and have the attacking talent to score multiple here.
Over 2.5 goals is the call. Both sides carry genuine attacking threat, Wolves’ defence is an acknowledged concern, and Everton have shown in the cup that they can put teams away in bunches. Three or more goals in this fixture feels more likely than a tight, cagey affair, particularly given the context and both managers’ inclination to push for a result rather than grind for a bore draw.
Everton 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers. Moyes’s side have the quality to be decisive at home, and Wolves will likely nick one through Jimenez or a moment of individual quality, but a three goal cushion for the Toffees reflects the gap in squad depth and Wolves’ defensive fragility at this point in the season.
Thierno Barry is the pick here. He leads the line for Everton, he is being carefully managed in the Premier League, and a cup game at home may well be where Moyes gives him the full ninety to build sharpness and rhythm. He has the movement and pace to cause a Wolves backline that will include a debutant goalkeeper and a young centre back playing only his second cup game for the club.
Over 9.5 corners looks appealing. Everton will do the bulk of the attacking in this game and will consistently put balls into the box from wide areas, particularly with Grealish and Dibling operating out wide and looking to get to the byline. Wolves, when they do attack, tend to play through the middle rather than going wide, but when they are under pressure they will concede corners regularly. This has the shape of a high corner count game.
Over 2.5 cards is a reasonable market to look at here. Wolves will need to make cynical fouls to disrupt Everton’s flow, particularly in the first half before the scoreline potentially opens up. Several of the Wolves starters will be making their debuts or close to it, and that inexperience under pressure sometimes leads to rash challenges. Expect a niggly edge to this game as Wolves try to stay in it.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Everton to Win |
| Both Teams To Score | Yes |
| Over 2.5 Goals | Over |
All three picks point in the same direction: a comfortable Everton win with goals at both ends, which is consistent with the gulf in class, Wolves’ defensive vulnerabilities, and both sides’ attacking intent in cup football.
Everton win this, and they win it without too much drama once they get their noses in front. Moyes will not be taking Wolves lightly, and this squad has enough quality even in a rotated form to see off Championship opposition at home. The Toffees have momentum in the cup after the Preston thrashing, and that attacking verve should carry through here with Barry, Grealish and Dibling all capable of hurting a Wolves backline that will be learning on the job at an unfamiliar venue.
Wolves deserve credit for a solid start to life in the Championship and Peixoto clearly has them well organised going forward, but defensively they remain a work in progress, and Everton’s attacking talent will find the gaps. Jimenez will give the Toffees’ defence something to think about and Wolves will likely get themselves on the scoresheet, but the home side should wrap this up comfortably enough. Everton 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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