Everton shrugged off the absence of Jack Grealish to secure an impressive 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium, booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
David Moyes’ side delivered a commanding performance, with James Garner, Hayden Hackney and Thierno Barry all finding the net to knock out the 2025 champions.
The victory came despite the controversial exclusion of Grealish, who was left out of the squad following a breach of club discipline. The 31-year-old England international, currently on loan from Manchester City, is understood to have missed a training session without permission.
However, his absence did little to disrupt Everton’s attacking rhythm as they took control of the contest before half-time.
Newcastle initially looked the more threatening side, with Harvey Barnes and Fabian Schar testing Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The hosts also needed a crucial defensive intervention from captain James Tarkowski, who produced a superb challenge to prevent William Osula from scoring.
Moments later, Everton broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when Garner displayed excellent awareness to finish from inside the penalty area.
The Toffees strengthened their advantage shortly before the interval through Hackney, who celebrated his first Everton goal since completing a £16 million summer transfer from Middlesbrough.
With Prime Minister Andy Burnham watching from the stands, Everton continued to dominate proceedings after the restart.
Their third goal arrived in the 69th minute when Barry converted Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s delivery with a composed finish, taking his tally for the season to seven.
Newcastle managed a consolation in the 89th minute through Dan Burn’s header, but the late goal sparked heated scenes between players.
Tarkowski pushed Joelinton to the ground during the confrontation, resulting in yellow cards for both players and Pickford.
The defeat added to Newcastle’s recent struggles, with the Magpies now having recorded just two victories in their previous six matches across all competitions.
For Everton, the result keeps alive their hopes of ending a lengthy trophy drought. The Merseyside club have never lifted the League Cup, while their last major silverware came with the FA Cup triumph in 1995.
They will now travel to League Two Fleetwood Town, who produced a remarkable upset by eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal in the previous round.
Fleetwood currently sit 18th in League Two but will be aiming to deliver another major surprise.
Meanwhile, Newcastle will have an immediate opportunity to respond when they welcome Everton to St James’ Park in the Premier League on Monday at 20:00 GMT.
