Charly Alcaraz's Late Winner Sends Everton Past Wolves in Carabao Cup

Charly Alcaraz stepped off the bench and into the spotlight, smashing home an 80th-minute winner to send Everton into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 victory over a heavily rotated Wolves side at Goodison Park.

Three minutes. One touch of real consequence. That was all Alcaraz needed. Thrown on by David Moyes to tilt a tight cup tie, the midfielder collected the ball inside the area and whipped a powerful, curling strike beyond Joao Virginia, finally breaking the resistance of his former club and preserving Everton’s unbeaten start to the season.

It was only his second goal for Everton, the first coming 13 months ago in the same competition. The roar told its own story. So did the reaction in the stands, where UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian counterpart Mark Carney – both declared Everton fans – celebrated a rare late cup release.

Everton grind it out against rotated Wolves

Everton had to work for this. Wolves, fresh from a league win at Sheffield United, arrived with nine changes but were stubborn, organised and, for long spells, awkward opponents.

Raul Jimenez, the match-winner at Bramall Lane, was handed a start and looked keen to build on that momentum. His evening ended early. Midway through the first half he went down injured and was forced off, a worrying sight for the visitors and a turning point that blunted their attacking threat.

From there, Everton tightened their grip. They moved the ball with more purpose, pushed Wolves back and began to create the kind of chances that usually decide cup ties.

Just before the break, it looked as though the pressure would tell. Thierno Barry rose to meet a cross in first-half stoppage time and seemed certain to score, only for Virginia – making his Wolves debut against the club where he came through – to fling himself across goal and produce a superb close-range save. It was the sort of stop that instantly silences a stadium.

Goalkeepers on show, until Alcaraz strikes

Virginia wasn’t the only goalkeeper earning his keep. Early in the second half, with Wolves finally registering a shot on target, Jordan Pickford had to react sharply to keep out Adam Armstrong, Jimenez’s replacement. One lapse, one break, and Everton were nearly punished.

The game began to stretch. Moyes turned to his bench, and the changes injected fresh energy. Brennan Johnson, one of those substitutes, found space and thought he had turned the tide, only for Virginia to deny him as well. The Wolves keeper’s display grew more impressive by the minute.

But the dam eventually broke.

With 10 minutes to play, Alcaraz seized his moment. Picking up possession inside the box, he drove his effort with just enough curl and venom that even Virginia, so defiant all night, could do nothing about it. Goodison erupted; Wolves finally cracked.

Everton saw it out with the assurance of a side that senses an opportunity. The performance was controlled, the win deserved, and the prize is clear: Moyes’ team stay alive in a competition that offers a genuine shot at ending the club’s wait for silverware stretching back to 1995.