A cup win built on goals from midfield and Barry
Everton beat Newcastle United 3-1 in the Carabao Cup fourth round at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, according to [1]. The goals came from James Garner, Hayden Hackney and Thierno Barry, while Dan Burn pulled one back for the visitors late on. The result puts Everton into the quarter-finals in December, where they will face League Two side Fleetwood Town.
Barry is the name to note. [2] points out that he now has seven goals in 11 appearances in all competitions this season, a strike rate that stands out in a side that has struggled for goals in the league. The same report quotes a fan who thinks the cup result may matter more than the league meeting with Newcastle on Monday, a sign of how much the knockout run is valued at Goodison’s new home.
There was also a tactical wrinkle. [3] reports that Tyrique George played on the left flank, the position Grealish might have been expected to occupy. With Grealish absent, George took the chance and Everton did not look short of ideas on the night.
Grealish dropped and a squad stretched thin
The bigger story off the pitch was Jack Grealish. He was left out of the squad after what the club called a breach of discipline, understood to be a failure to attend training on Monday. [4] reports that Moyes declined to say whether Grealish would be available for the Premier League meeting with Newcastle. [5] adds that Grealish is expected to be fined, although that remains unconfirmed. Moyes described the decision as a club decision that he supports.
On the pitch, Grealish has had a quiet season. [3] notes he has not scored or created an assist in eight appearances. That makes the dispute awkward rather than disastrous, but it removes a player Moyes might have wanted to build his attack around.
Squad depth is a separate concern. The same report says Everton are working with only 18 senior players after a botched transfer window, a figure reported with moderate confidence. Jarrad Branthwaite also missed a second straight game while following concussion protocols, [4] says. With a squad this thin, a disciplinary exclusion costs more than it would at a club with a deeper bench.
What it means
The league table gives the cup win some context. Everton are 13th in the Premier League with 10 points from 8 games (two wins, four draws, two defeats), with 8 goals scored and 9 conceded. That is a mid-table side with a thin margin, not one in trouble, but the recent run is the worry.
The last two league games were both 0-2 defeats, at Arsenal on 24 October and at home to Chelsea on 17 October, and Everton failed to score in either. Before that came a 2-2 draw at Hull City and a 1-0 home win over Ipswich Town, with a goalless draw at Tottenham the week before that. The pattern is of a team that can defend for long spells but struggles to create when it falls behind. Three goals against Newcastle in midweek was a welcome change.
The next fixture is Newcastle against Everton on 2 November in the Premier League. It asks three questions. Can the cup scoring carry over into the league? Does Grealish return, or does George keep the left-flank role? And can a squad of 18 senior players cope without Branthwaite? The site’s forecast for the match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so no prediction is published here yet.
Sources
- Sky Sports: Everton see off Newcastle to reach Carabao Cup quarter-finals skysports.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Cup win avoids 'unrest' for Everton fans bbc.co.uk ↩
- BBC Sport: Britain's first £100m man facing defining moment bbc.co.uk ↩
- Sky Sports: Moyes backs 'club decision' to drop Grealish skysports.com ↩
- BBC Sport: Grealish dropped over 'breach of club discipline' - what now? bbc.co.uk ↩
