Just three days after a landmark afternoon, Everton return to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Mansfield Town provide the opposition in the Carabao Cup second round.
On Sunday, the Blues marked their new waterfront home in style with a 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion, thanks to goals from Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner. Now, under the lights in front of another sell-out crowd, David Moyes will be eager to keep momentum building — though he’s expected to rotate his side against the League One visitors.
A strong cup run would mean a lot for Everton. The painful memory of last season’s quarter-final exit to Fulham on penalties — a defeat that sparked a four-month winless streak in the league — still lingers. But with evidence from last year that even Europe’s heavyweights can be toppled, and with the talent Moyes has at his disposal, the Blues should have nothing to fear heading into September.
Tonight’s task is clear: beat a Mansfield side who’ve started strongly in League One. That means finding the right balance — enough first-team experience to get the job done, but also opportunities for younger players to build minutes.
Vitalii Mykolenko’s return to training is a welcome sight, but Adam Aznou gets the nod to accelerate his development. Seamus Coleman should slot in on the opposite flank, while James Tarkowski is due a rest after a gruelling outing at the weekend. That opens the door for Jake O’Brien to partner Michael Keane at centre-back.
In midfield, Idrissa Gueye is likely to sit this one out, paving the way for a trio of Harrison Armstrong, Carlos Alcaraz and James Garner — with the latter anchoring the play while Alcaraz pushes higher to link with Beto. The striker could use a confidence boost, so he leads the line, supported by Dwight McNeil on the left and Isaac Heath — impressive in pre-season — making his first senior start on the right.
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