With one of the strongest squads in recent memory, and after watching Newcastle and Crystal Palace end their respective trophy droughts last year, Everton supporters were rightfully feeling bullish about this season’s League Cup campaign.
Especially after watching Everton’s free-flowing attack dismantle the Wolves backline just three weeks ago in the Premier League.
But when the teams were announced, Everton put out a front four completely changed from the one that beat Wolves 3-2 just a few weeks ago. David Moyes gave opportunities to new signings Tyler Dibling and Thierno Barry from the start, and offered chances for Dwight McNeil and Carlos Alcaraz to plead their case for more Premier League minutes.
This decision ultimately cost Everton one of their only two real chances at silverware this season.
It was clear from the start that Everton’s much-changed side didn’t have the same free-flowing attacking capabilities of the first-choice frontline, and Wolves dominated the first half with 64% possession and twice as many passes as the visitors.
Tyler Dibling showed a few glimpses of his quality with the ball at his feet, opening himself up for a shot in the 19th minute, but couldn’t create much on his own.
Meanwhile, Thierno Barry looked frustrated, struggling to deal with the physicality of the Wolves defenders.
The two most experienced players in the front four, Carlos Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil, contributed virtually nothing to the Everton attack. The two players combined for zero shots on target and zero touches in the opposition’s penalty area.
Everton’s lack of forward options left them sitting back against a team who’ve lost five in a row in the Premier League.
Whereas in the first match between the two sides, Everton pressed high up the pitch, defending from the front and never leaving the Wolves defenders comfortable on the ball, the opposite was true on Tuesday night.
When Wolves got their opener, the defending was poor, with Jake O’Brien letting Jhon Arias get goal side of him for the initial effort, while Marshall Munetsi was unmarked at the back post to turn in the rebound.
But Everton’s lack of attacking threat invited that pressure in the first place. Without Beto, Iliman Ndiaye, Jack Grealish, or Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the pitch, the visitors struggled to get the ball out of their own area.
When they did, it often ended with an errant pass or a poor first touch, sending it straight back to the opposition.
When those four entered the game early in the second half, Everton dominated, controlling 61% possession and managing 12 shots with three on target.
Ultimately, some poor finishing and some bad luck, like James Garner’s brilliant free kick bouncing off the crossbar, meant that Everton never got their equaliser.
Chasing the game late will always leave a side open to the counter-attack, which is exactly how Wolves got their second, and with it, killed Everton’s hopes of even taking the game to a penalty shootout.
But leaving all three of their most threatening midfielders on the bench meant that Everton wasted the first 45 minutes of the match, and ultimately wasted another opportunity to end a 30-year trophy drought.