Everton – Wolverhampton Wanderers

Recent form · Written before the match

Everton remains unbeaten in the last four matches listed: 2-2 against Manchester United at home on 6 September 2026, 1-1 at Bournemouth on 29 August, 4-0 at Preston on 26 August, and 2-0 against Crystal Palace at home on 22 August. Wolves drew 2-2 at Birmingham on 6 September after a 2-4 defeat at West Ham on 1 September, but had previously beaten Stoke 4-1 at home on 29 August, Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 away in the Carabao Cup on 25 August, and Preston 3-1 away on 22 August.

Both teams played on 6 September, with a theoretical ten days of rest until the match. No comparable xG or homogeneous statistical series for shots or pressing is available.

Everton also won 4-0 at Preston with 68% possession and ten shots on target, figures limited to that match.

Head-to-head · Written before the match

The documented recent encounters are Wolves 2-0 Everton in the third round of the 2025-26 Carabao Cup, on 23 September 2025, Wolves 3-2 Everton in the league on 30 August 2025, then Everton 1-1 Wolves on 7 January 2026. In the 2-0 cup match, Wolves had made nine changes and Everton several substitutions.

These precedents favor Wolves, but their prédictive valeur remains limited because the squads, coaches, Wolves’ division, and context have changed.

Absences and returns

Wolves reported on 20 August 2026 that Kieran Trippier and Yerson Mosquera would be absent for several weeks, respectively due to knee and ankle injuries. On 6 September, Kieran Trippier, Rafiki Said, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde were still reported unavailable; Santi Bueno and Ladislav Krejci were fit again and substitutes in the previous match.

Their exact status on 16 September is not guaranteed. No Everton absence, nor the status of Jordan Pickford, his backup goalkeeper, or his starters, is confirmed.

Context & news

Everton host Wolves in the third round of the EFL Cup, on Wednesday 16 September 2026 at 19 h 45 local time, i.e. 18 h 45 UTC, at Hill Dickinson Stadium; the match is a knockout tie and no first-leg score exists. In one scenario, Everton can apply pressure at home, control more of the ball and extend their recent unbeaten run.

In the opposite scenario, Wolves can rely on their recent attacking efficiency, sit deep after taking the lead and exploit transitions, as the cup precedent from 23 September 2025 suggests, with limited relevance due to changes in context.

Lineups and squad

No official lineup is available as of 10 September 2026. Rotation in the cup is plausible, but no starting player can be inferred from a previous lineup. Everton’s starting goalkeeper and Wolverhampton’s are not announced.