Everton Aim for Victory Against Fearless Ipswich Town
Everton’s second home game in four days comes with a different kind of tension. The cup job is done. Now the league form has to keep pace.
On Saturday, newly promoted Ipswich Town arrive at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the latest test of an Everton side that has quietly refused to lose in the Premier League so far.
Cup momentum, selection headaches
On Wednesday night, David Moyes’s squad did exactly what was asked of them. No drama, just a clean, controlled 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup third round.
The decisive moment came from Charly Alcaraz. A sharp left-footed finish, crafted from a neat exchange with Tyler Dibling, settled the tie and underlined the depth waiting behind Moyes’s regular starters.
Later that evening, the reward dropped: a home tie against Newcastle United in the fourth round, to be played in the week commencing 26 October. Another big night under the lights is coming.
The cup win did more than put Everton in the hat. It stirred the pecking order.
Assistant Manager Alan Irvine revealed he had thrown down a clear challenge to Dibling before kick-off: “You’ve got your chance; make sure that you perform well, and then you give the manager a big decision to make about whether you're in the team next time.”
Dibling did exactly that. He walked away with the Player of the Match award and the assist for Alcaraz’s winner, forcing his name firmly into the conversation.
Irvine also spoke of being “absolutely thrilled” for Alcaraz, admitting the Argentine is “massively disappointed” whenever he’s not in the starting XI. At 23, and with that kind of response, he has given Moyes a genuine selection dilemma.
Unbeaten Everton, awkward opponents
In the league, Everton’s start has been quietly effective. Four games, no defeats: one win, three draws. Not spectacular, but solid. Foundations first.
Two promoted clubs now stand between them and the international break. Ipswich on Saturday, Hull City after the pause. On paper, Everton’s quality should outstrip both, especially with fringe players pushing hard after midweek.
But Ipswich are not playing like a side simply happy to be here.
Promoted last season after finishing second, Gary O’Neil’s team have stepped into the Premier League without fear. They sit in midtable with two wins and two defeats, a respectable return given the difficulty of their early schedule. Opta’s Power Rankings marked their opening run as one of the toughest in the division.
Their last league outing said plenty about their character. Away at Crystal Palace, the Tractor Boys fought through a wild contest and emerged with a 3-2 win, sealed by a 90th-minute strike from Zian Flemming at Selhurst Park. That kind of finish injects belief into a newly promoted dressing room.
They will not turn up on Merseyside just to survive.
Team news: big guns to return
Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Harrison Armstrong is fit, though not fully ready to start. Rohl remains unavailable, with the details of his injury still unclear.
The bigger question is how much weight the manager gives to midweek performances. Alcaraz and Dibling have done all they can to stake a claim, but breaking into this Everton XI is no small task, especially in the wide and midfield areas where the squad is strongest.
At the back, the spine should be restored. Jarrad Branthwaite, fresh from his England call-up, is expected to return at centre-back alongside James Tarkowski after both were rested for the Wolves game. Jake O'Brien partnered Michael Keane in that cup win, but league duty should bring the first-choice pairing back together.
Predicted Everton XI
Moyes is likely to stick with his favoured shape, a 4-3-2-1 designed to control the middle and feed the attacking line:
Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Hackney, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall; Grealish, Barry, George.
It’s a lineup that blends defensive stability with enough craft between the lines to pull apart a compact Ipswich side.
Match details
Kick-off: 3pm BST, Saturday 19 September 2026
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
The game falls under the UK blackout for 3pm Saturday fixtures, so there will be no live domestic TV coverage.
Everton arrive unbeaten and buoyed by cup progress. Ipswich come armed with momentum and a growing belief they belong at this level.
One side trying to turn a steady start into something more ambitious. The other determined to prove that “newly promoted” doesn’t mean “easy target.”
Which story gathers pace on Saturday?
