Everton secured their spot in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after edging past Championship outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers in a tightly contested clash at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The match drew a notable crowd, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canada’s Mark Carney among those watching from the stands as David Moyes’ team found a breakthrough deep into the second half.
The decisive moment arrived in the 80th minute through substitute Charly Alcaraz, who danced past defenders inside the penalty area before slotting home coolly. It marked his maiden strike for the club in over a year, his previous one coming against Mansfield in the same tournament.
Chances were scarce throughout, largely due to the heroics of former Everton stopper Joao Virginia, now on loan duty with Wolves after departing for Sporting in 2025. He denied Thierno Barry from point blank range with a header just before the interval, keeping the scoreline level until Alcaraz’s late intervention. The result extended Everton’s unbeaten run to six games this season, setting up a home tie against Newcastle United in the week starting 26 October.
Wolves, rotating nine players following their midweek Championship victory over Sheffield United, started with intent but were dealt a setback when leading forward Raul Jimenez limped off in the 37th minute. His replacement, Adam Armstrong, nearly equalised when his one on one attempt was denied by Jordan Pickford in the 54th minute.
Everton also rotated heavily, making six alterations from their scoreless draw with Tottenham. James Garner tested the woodwork area while Michael Keane’s header drifted narrowly wide. Virginia again intervened to deny Brennan Johnson a clear sight of goal. Jack Grealish featured for 76 minutes, his first start since January following his loan spell at Manchester City, before making way for Tyrique George.
Attention now turns to league fixtures, with Everton hosting Ipswich Town on Saturday and Wolves facing West Brom in a Midlands derby the following day.
