Everton faces Newcastle in EFL Cup fourth round at Hill Dickinson

Everton and Newcastle United will contest the final outstanding fourth-round tie of the EFL Cup on Thursday evening at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals. Everton manager David Moyes has named Hayden Hackney and Tyler Dibling in the starting eleven, making two changes from the side that lost 2–0 to Arsenal the previous weekend. Harrison Armstrong and Brennan Johnson drop out of the matchday squad. Everton will be without Jarrad Branthwaite due to concussion protocols and Jack Grealish, who is unavailable due to a breach of club discipline.

Newcastle arrive on the back of a 2–0 victory over Crystal Palace and manager Matthias Jaissle has indicated he will field a strong team. The Magpies won 4–1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the corresponding fixture last season and have reached at least the semi-finals in three of the last four seasons. Everton, managed by Moyes, have not reached a cup quarter-final since 2016 and have not won a trophy since 1995, lending particular significance to this fixture.

Everton's form has been mixed in recent weeks: they lost 2–0 to Chelsea and 2–0 to Arsenal in their last two Premier League matches, ending a seven-match unbeaten run. Newcastle's recent performances show greater consistency, with wins at Crystal Palace and Hull City in the Premier League. Both teams have injury concerns: Newcastle have confirmed Lewis Miley is unavailable, while Everton also have doubts over Vitalii Mykolenko's fitness.

Thierno Barry, Everton's French forward, leads the attack for the Toffees. Barry has generated 5.1 expected goals in the Premier League this season and scored three times in the Carabao Cup, including a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Preston. Newcastle's defence has shown vulnerabilities this season, ranking 17th in the Premier League for expected goals against and 16th for goals conceded, having conceded at least two goals in half of their ten matches across all competitions.

The starting lineups reflect both managers' commitment to the competition. Everton's XI includes Jordan Pickford in goal, a back four of Merlin Röhl, James Tarkowski (captain), Jake O'Brien and Vitalii Mykolenko, with Hackney, James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in midfield, Tyler Dibling and Tyrique George on the flanks, and Thierno Barry in attack. A win for either side would represent a significant step toward silverware, with Newcastle seeking to build on their Carabao Cup triumph two seasons ago and Everton bidding to end a 31-year wait for a major trophy.