Everton Aim for EFL Cup Success as Moyes Returns to Preston

Deepdale under the lights, the EFL Cup on the line, and David Moyes back where his managerial story really started. Sentiment will be in the stands on Wednesday night. It will not be in the Everton dugout.

Everton arrive in Preston with momentum and a clear expectation: get the job done and move on.

Kick-off, TV and the stakes

• Date: Wednesday, August 26
• Kick-off: 8pm BST
• Venue: Deepdale, Preston
• Competition: EFL Cup second round
• TV: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football

The Toffees opened their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, a performance that suggested they hit the new season running while others were still stretching their legs. Now they look to transfer that sharpness into the cup, a competition in which they have reached at least the third round every year since 2002.

Preston, by contrast, are trying to stop the bleeding before the season has really begun.

Moyes back at Deepdale – but all business

Moyes spent four formative years in charge of Preston from 1998 to 2002, building his reputation and setting up the move to Everton that defined his career. Any nostalgia will be brief. His task is simple: avoid a cup upset against Championship opposition who have started the season in a tailspin.

Everton’s win over Palace was not flawless. They wobbled early, survived a couple of big scares, then grew into the contest and seized control once Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall smashed in a superb opener. From there, they never really looked back.

That early statement of intent means Moyes can now rotate with a bit of confidence. Dewsbury-Hall is among those who could be handed a breather with Saturday’s league trip to Bournemouth looming, but the Everton manager knows exactly how much supporters crave a proper run in the cups. Expect experience from the start and quality waiting on the bench.

The predicted XI still looks strong: Jordan Pickford behind a back four of Nathan Patterson, James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and Vitalii Mykolenko; Lewis Dobbin Armstrong and Hayden Hackney in the deeper roles; Iliman Ndiaye, Carlos Alcaraz and Johnson supporting Beto through the middle. That’s hardly a weakened side.

Preston’s problems piling up

On the other bench, Paul Heckingbottom is already under pressure. Two league games, two defeats, and worrying signs everywhere.

A 2-1 derby loss at Bolton exposed a flat, disjointed first half. The follow-up was worse. Wolves walked into Deepdale and walked all over North End, winning 3-1 in a game that felt even more one-sided than the scoreline. By the time Jordan Thompson grabbed a stoppage-time consolation, Wolves were 3-0 up and cruising.

The numbers tell their own story. Preston have lost five of their last seven matches. They have gone 18 games without a clean sheet. They have conceded first in seven of their last eight. This is not a team that starts well, or defends well, or finishes well.

Up front, the situation is even more alarming. They scored just 55 goals in 46 league games last season and then lost ten-goal top scorer Lewis Dobbin, whose loan from Aston Villa ended before he made a permanent move 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.

Then came another blow: their only senior centre-forward, Jusef Erabi, limped off midway through the second half against Wolves and is now a doubt. Brad Potts is out, and Theo Carroll faces an ankle assessment.

Heckingbottom’s likely 4-2-3-1 – Iversen; Pol Valentin, Jordan Storey, Liam Gibson, Vukcevic; Ali McCann, Thompson; Burgzorg, Devine, Small; Lang – looks short of punch. The bench, with Clarke, Hughes, Lindsay, Leroy, Erabi, Gryba and Moran, underlines how thin the attacking options are.

He knows he needs late transfer business to give this squad any real edge over a long Championship season. He also knows points, not cup shocks, will decide his future. With a crucial trip to Charlton coming up at the weekend, his selection may reflect that reality.

Why Everton should have too much

Even with changes on both sides, Everton’s depth feels decisive. They have scored in eight of their last nine fixtures and carry multiple threats in every line. Preston, by contrast, are short of goals, short of confidence, and facing a Premier League side that has already shown it can hit the ground running.

The betting angles reflect that gap. Everton are strong favourites to qualify and are fancied to clear a -1 Asian handicap, suggesting a win by at least two goals is on the cards.

Preston’s defensive frailty is a major concern. North End will likely spend long spells without the ball, their back line exposed and their midfield chasing. That is the sort of night that often brings cards, and Storey – booked ten times last season – could easily find his name in the referee’s book again.

Beto the man to strike first?

One name stands out in this tie: Beto.

The powerful centre-forward, Everton’s top league scorer last season with nine goals, is expected to step up from the bench to lead the line at Deepdale. He is not a ruthless, one-chance finisher, but he generates opportunities through sheer presence and persistence. In a game where Everton should dominate territory and supply, that volume of chances makes him dangerous.

He looks a strong candidate to open the scoring and remains central to Moyes’s plans, even if he has had to wait for his first start of the new campaign.

Predicted line-ups

Preston (4-2-3-1)
Iversen; Pol Valentin, Storey, Gibson, Vukcevic; McCann, Thompson; Burgzorg, Devine, Small; Lang.
Subs: Clarke, Hughes, Lindsay, Leroy, Erabi, Gryba, Moran.

Everton (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 snapshot

• Preston 19-4
• Everton 8-15
• Draw 10-3

Everton are expected to progress, and comfortably. For Moyes, a professional, controlled win would tick every box: minutes for the squad, momentum preserved, and another step taken towards a trophy that has eluded the club for far too long.

For Preston, the question is starker. Can a bruised, goal-shy side find enough resistance to turn a difficult August into something more hopeful, or does this cup tie simply underline how much work still needs to be done?