Everton Aim for EFL Cup Progress as Moyes Returns to Deepdale
The EFL Cup rarely does nostalgia gently. On Wednesday night it sends David Moyes back to Deepdale, the scene of his first steps in management, with a ruthless brief: take Everton through and leave Preston’s problems behind.
Kick-off is 8pm at Deepdale, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with a place in the third round on the line.
Toffees arrive sharp, Preston already under strain
Everton’s season has started with purpose. A 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League showed a side already up to speed while others were still clearing their throats. Palace carved out chances in that first half, but once Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall thrashed in a superb opener, Moyes’s team tightened their grip and finished the job.
That performance underlined why Everton have featured in every EFL Cup third-round draw since 2002. They tend to handle these early hurdles, and this one pits them against a Preston side still searching for their footing.
Paul Heckingbottom is feeling the heat. Two Championship games, two defeats, and the manner of them has set alarm bells ringing. A 2-1 derby loss at Bolton came after a flat first half that left them chasing shadows. Then came Wolves at Deepdale – a 3-1 defeat that flattered Preston, with the Old Gold 3-0 up and coasting before Jordan Thompson’s injury-time consolation.
The numbers are ugly. Preston have lost five of their last seven, failed to keep a clean sheet in 18 straight games and conceded first in seven of their last eight. That is not the profile of a team ready to spring a cup shock.
Thin up front, stretched all over
Heckingbottom’s biggest headache is obvious: goals. Preston scored just 55 times in 46 league games last season and their ten-goal top scorer, Lewis Dobbin, has gone. His loan from Aston Villa ended and he has since moved on to Southampton.
Milutin Osmajic chipped in with eight league goals but was omitted from the weekend squad as a move to Genoa edges closer. Against Wolves, their only senior centre-forward, Jusef Erabi, limped off midway through the second half and is now a doubt.
That leaves North End painfully light in attack and scrambling for late transfer deals just to make this squad competitive. Heckingbottom also has to juggle priorities: the need for league points is acute, with a trip to Charlton looming at the weekend. Rest a few against Everton and risk a heavy defeat? Or go strong and risk burnout before a crucial Championship fixture?
Brad Potts is out, while Theo Carroll’s ankle problem will be assessed. It all adds to a sense of a squad already stretched before August is out.
A likely Preston XI in a 4-2-3-1 shape: Iversen; Pol Valentin, Storey, Gibson, Vukcevic; McCann, Thompson; Burgzorg, Devine, Small; Lang. Options from the bench include Clarke, Hughes, Lindsay, Leroy, Erabi, Gryba and Moran.
Moyes to rotate, but not to gamble
Moyes knows Deepdale as well as anyone, but sentiment will not guide his team sheet. With a Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Saturday, he is expected to freshen his side, and Dewsbury-Hall is among those who could be handed a breather.
The key difference is that Everton can rotate without weakening drastically. Their squad carries far more depth than Preston’s, and the manager is unlikely to short-change a travelling support that wants a proper cup run.
Timothy Iroegbunam (adductor) and Christian Norgaard (match fitness) remain unavailable, yet the likely XI still looks imposing: Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Hackney; Ndiaye, Alcaraz, Johnson; Beto. On the bench, Moyes can still call on Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall, Barry, Branthwaite, Garner, Rohl and George.
Everton have scored in eight of their last nine fixtures and carry threats across the pitch. Against a defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in 18 games, the visitors will expect chances to come.
Where the game could be decided
The pressure on Preston’s back line is already intense, and Wednesday night is unlikely to ease it. Centre-back Jordan Storey, booked ten times last season, can expect a busy evening against Beto’s physical presence and the movement of Everton’s three behind him. One mistimed challenge, one late lunge as the Toffees break, and the referee’s notebook will be out again.
For Everton, the contest looks tailor-made for a professional job. They have the stronger XI, the deeper bench and a clear pattern of play already in place. Even if Moyes rotates, the expectation is not just progression but a convincing performance.
Beto’s chance to lead
Beto, top league scorer for Everton last season with nine goals, is likely to be handed a start after coming off the bench at the weekend. He is not the coldest finisher in the division, but he generates chances through sheer volume of involvement and relentless running. Against a Preston side that tends to concede first and struggles to reset once behind, his presence could define the night.
If Everton start on the front foot, Beto looks a strong candidate to strike the opening blow at Deepdale and underline the gulf between a Premier League side with momentum and a Championship outfit still trying to remember what a clean sheet feels like.
On current form, the question is not whether Everton will create enough to win this tie, but how long Preston can delay the inevitable.
