- Head-to-head: Everton have won three of the last five H2H encounters (D1, L1).
- Recent form: Everton have won four, drawn five and lost just one of their last ten matches in all competitions.
- Away form: Newcastle have lost two and won two of their four away games this season.
Stylistic contrast to make for an engaging affair
Tactical setups
Newcastle will line up at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in what could be a compelling game of contrast on Thursday night as David Moyes' structured Everton side welcome Matthias Jaissle's free-flowing Magpies. The Toffees have set up in a rigid 4-2-3-1 formation under Moyes, setting up to absorb pressure, create compact units, and hit with quality on the break.
Newcastle, on the other hand, have had a more vertical approach, playing with a higher press and more of a counter-attacking intent under Jaissle.
Form and home/away records
That could make for a fascinating encounter and Everton will be looking to punish the space that the Magpies leave behind their high defensive line, while their defensive compactness will be tested by Newcastle's pressing style. Whoever can execute their game plan better could come away with the victory, but given Everton have a home record of three wins, two draws and one loss in six games, the Toffees will enter this match as the slight favorites at 2.18.
Newcastle will be the bigger threat in terms of overall quality, but they've struggled on the road, winning two of four and losing two. They've conceded 2.00 goals per away game and their all-competitions record also looks worse, with the Magpies losing four, winning four and drawing two of their ten matches this term.
An Everton win looks likely
Newcastle's form has been fragile recently, losing two in a row for the first time this term as they slumped to a 4-1 defeat to Coventry on Saturday before losing 1-0 to Aston Villa at home. Everton have taken two points from their last two EPL games, drawing 2-2 at Hull and then losing 2-0 at home to Chelsea.
Both Teams to Score – Yes could be a decent play at 1.65 but with Everton having a good record at home and Newcastle looking a little unsteady in the last few games, a tight home edge looks likely in this EFL Cup encounter.
Everton have won the H2H three times in the last five and lost once, so a repeat of the 3-1 scoreline in favour of the hosts from two months ago could be on the cards, as they've scored 1.3 goals per home game against Newcastle over their last five meetings.
- Thierno Barry is Everton's sharpest edge at the moment with two goals in five games, while Joseph Willock has been Newcastle's biggest threat with two in the same time period, in a spell where the Magpies have scored just five goals in as many games.
