Everton Aim for Victory as Moyes Returns to Deepdale
The EFL Cup throws up a familiar setting for David Moyes on Wednesday night, but there will be no room for nostalgia. Everton head to Deepdale to face a struggling Preston side, with the Premier League club expected to impose their authority and keep their long-running record of reaching the third round intact.
Kick-off is at 8pm at Deepdale, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
Moyes enjoyed a highly regarded spell in charge of Preston between 1998 and 2002, yet the sentiment ends there. Everton arrive with momentum after a sharp 2-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace, while North End limp into the tie on the back of two league defeats and mounting problems in attack.
Form lines point one way
Everton’s opening-day display against Palace carried a trait that has often deserted them in recent seasons: readiness. They survived a couple of big first-half scares, then seized control once Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall smashed in a superb opener. From that moment, they dictated the tempo and closed out the game with authority.
That performance underlined a squad that looks physically tuned and mentally switched on far earlier than some of their top-flight rivals. It also set a standard Moyes will be reluctant to abandon, even with a Premier League trip to Bournemouth looming on Saturday.
Rotation is inevitable. Dewsbury-Hall is among those who could be handed a breather, with Moyes likely to lean on his depth and keep several starters in reserve on the bench. But Everton’s support will not tolerate a token cup run. The expectation is clear: a serious tilt at silverware, and that starts with a professional job at Deepdale.
Preston, by contrast, are already under strain. Paul Heckingbottom’s side opened their Championship campaign with a 2-1 derby defeat at Bolton, undone by a flat first-half display that left them chasing the game. Any hope of a reaction evaporated in their next outing.
Wolves arrived at Deepdale and dominated. The 3-1 scoreline flattered Preston, who trailed 3-0 and were comfortably second best long before Jordan Thompson’s stoppage-time consolation.
The numbers are stark. Preston have lost five of their last seven matches, failed to keep a clean sheet in 18 games and conceded the first goal in seven of their last eight. Against an Everton team that has scored in eight of its last nine fixtures, that is a dangerous trend.
Heckingbottom short on firepower
If the performances are a concern, the squad picture is worse. Preston were hardly prolific last season, scoring 55 goals in 46 league matches, and they have lost key contributors.
Ten-goal top scorer Lewis Dobbin, who had been on loan from Aston Villa, has moved on to Southampton. Milutin Osmajic, who chipped in with eight league goals, was left out of the weekend squad as he prepares for a transfer to Genoa.
That exodus has left Heckingbottom heavily reliant on Jusef Erabi, their only senior centre-forward. He was forced off midway through the second half against Wolves and is now a doubt for Everton’s visit. With Brad Potts ruled out and Theo Carroll’s ankle problem needing assessment, the options are thinning fast.
Heckingbottom needs reinforcements before the transfer window closes if Preston are to mount anything resembling a positive campaign. For now, he has to juggle priorities. The short-term reality is brutal: his side have zero points from two league games, and a weekend trip to Charlton looms large. It would be no surprise if his selection against Everton reflects that urgency for Championship points.
That dilemma only widens the gap between the teams. Everton can refresh without weakening the XI too dramatically; Preston can’t.
Everton’s depth to tell – and Beto in the spotlight
On paper, Everton’s -1 Asian handicap appeals for a reason. They have greater quality, more depth and arrive in far better shape. If they hit anything like the level they showed against Palace, this should be a tie they handle with something to spare.
One player likely to benefit from rotation is Beto. The powerful centre-forward, Everton’s top league scorer last season with nine goals, is in line for his first start of the campaign and looks a prime candidate to set the tone.
He is not the coldest finisher in front of goal, but he generates chances through sheer volume of involvement. At Deepdale, against a defence that has been repeatedly opened up and has centre-back Jordan Storey walking a disciplinary tightrope after ten bookings last term, Beto has a clear opportunity to strike first.
A bet on him to open the scoring carries obvious appeal.
Team news and expected line-ups
Preston’s problems are concentrated in attack and on the treatment table.
Erabi is a doubt after hobbling off at the weekend. Potts is ruled out, while Carroll will be assessed on an ankle issue. Heckingbottom may be forced into changes even if he would prefer stability.
A likely Preston XI in a 4-2-3-1 shape:
Iversen; Pol Valentin, Storey, Gibson, Vukcevic; McCann, Thompson; Burgzorg, Devine, Small; Lang.
Subs: Clarke, Hughes, Lindsay, Leroy, Erabi, Gryba, Moran.
Everton, by contrast, can rotate with intent rather than necessity. Moyes is expected to freshen his side but will still field a strong core. Timothy Iroegbunam (adductor) and Christian Norgaard (match fitness) remain unavailable.
Everton’s predicted 4-2-3-1:
Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Johnson; Beto.
Subs: Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, Barry, Branthwaite, Garner, Rohl, George.
Odds and the bigger picture
The market reflects the gulf. Preston are 19-4 outsiders, Everton are 8-15 favourites, with the draw at 10-3.
Preston’s task is clear but daunting: halt a run of poor results, tighten up defensively and somehow find a cutting edge despite losing key forwards. Everton’s is simpler: stay ruthless, avoid complacency and use this competition as a platform for a season that could finally carry some upward momentum.
Moyes knows Deepdale well. On Wednesday night, sentiment will be left at the door. The question is not whether Everton should go through, but how convincingly they underline the gap between a Premier League side on the rise and a Championship club scrambling to get off the mark.
