Everton secured their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on October 29, 2026, a result that came without Jack Grealish, who was left out of the squad after missing training.
Manager David Moyes praised the performances of midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Hayden Hackney after the win, which sets up a quarter-final tie at Fleetwood Town. This was the first of two meetings between the sides in five days, with a Premier League clash scheduled for Monday.
Grealish absence overshadowed by team effort
Grealish was dropped for disciplinary reasons after missing training on Monday without permission, according to the national media. Despite his absence, the rest of the squad stepped up, with goals from James Garner, Hayden Hackney, and Thierno Barry securing the win.
Dominic King of the Daily Telegraph noted that Moyes fostered a siege mentality after the disruption, writing that Grealish's "selfish and reckless decision to go Awol from training" could have invited Newcastle to deliver a hammer blow, but the team responded emphatically. King also observed that while Grealish caused an issue for 90 minutes, he became "an irrelevance" as Everton progressed.
National media praise Everton's response
Andy Hunter of the Guardian highlighted that Grealish was not missed because the rest of the squad did not let Moyes down. Hunter reported that Newcastle dominated spells, registering 28 shots to Everton's 11, but individual defensive errors proved costly. Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle called his team "naive" and described the defeat as "shocking."
Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail declared that Everton don't need Grealish right now, pointing to the "hard graft, humility and fighting for team-mates" shown by his replacements. Steele also noted that Moyes made the decision to drop and fine Grealish alongside chief executive Angus Kinnear, and it is unknown if he will return for Monday's league game.
Ian Whittell of The Times wrote that the cup run will raise the spirits of Everton fans, who have not won a trophy since their 1995 FA Cup triumph. He also mentioned that Moyes may guide the club into the semi-finals of the League Cup for only the third time in 39 years, should they beat Fleetwood in the next round.
Quarter-final trip to Fleetwood awaits
The win sets up a trip to Fleetwood Town, who knocked out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties in the previous round. Moyes' men are now 90 minutes away from their first semi-final in 11 years, since Roberto Martinez's side were defeated by Manchester City.
A full house of 51,894 attended the match, including 8,000 travelling Newcastle fans and Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who was in attendance alongside his wife Marie-France.
