LIVERPOOL, England, September 16, 2026: Everton spent most of Wednesday night searching for a way past a goalkeeper they knew very well. Charly Alcaraz eventually found it.
The Argentine substitute scored in the 80th minute to give Everton a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium and send David Moyes’ side into the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Everton had controlled the larger share of the match without finding the finish their pressure deserved. They attempted 14 shots to Wolves’ five, held 59% possession and won six corners, yet former Everton goalkeeper João Virgínia repeatedly frustrated his old club.
Alcaraz finally changed the night after coming from the bench. Tyler Dibling carried the ball into the attacking area and found the midfielder, whose first touch created the shooting angle before he curled his finish beyond Virgínia.
For Everton, it was more than progression. Wolves had eliminated them 2-0 at this same stage of the competition last season. Twelve months later, the Toffees returned the favor.
Everton vs Wolves Result: Charly Alcaraz Sends Toffees Through
| Match detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | Carabao Cup 2026-27 |
| Round | Third Round |
| Result | Everton 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Venue | Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool |
| Goal | Charly Alcaraz 80′ |
| Everton shots | 14 |
| Wolves shots | 5 |
| Shots on target | Everton 4-2 Wolves |
| Possession | Everton 59%-41% Wolves |
| Outcome | Everton advance to Carabao Cup Round Four |
The tie formed part of the EFL’s staggered third-round programme, with European scheduling forcing several Carabao Cup fixtures across different weeks. The Sports Encounter examined that complication in its analysis of the EFL and UEFA scheduling collision.
Wolves’ official matchday guide confirmed a sold-out away allocation of around 3,000 supporters for the trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium, but the travelling support never received the attacking breakthrough required to extend their cup run.
Who Scored for Everton Against Wolves?
Charly Alcaraz scored the only goal in the 80th minute.
The breakthrough arrived shortly after Moyes turned to his bench. Alcaraz and Tyrique George were introduced as Everton searched for the final piece missing from a performance that had produced territory, possession and opportunities without a goal.
Dibling helped create the decisive opening.
Alcaraz received the ball, used his first touch to move away from the defender and then curled his finish beyond Virgínia into the far side of the goal.
It was precisely the kind of action Everton had been missing for the previous 79 minutes.
The home side had generated enough attacking situations to take control earlier, but Wolves repeatedly survived the first contact, blocked shots around the area or relied on Virgínia to prevent the breakthrough.
Once Alcaraz scored, Everton changed priorities immediately. Rather than continue forcing the game, they began managing possession and reducing the opportunities for Wolves to build a late response.
João Virgínia Nearly Took Everton vs Wolves to Penalties
For much of the evening, one of Everton’s former players looked capable of becoming the central story.
João Virgínia returned to face his old club and produced several important interventions.
Jack Grealish forced him into work from distance, while Thierno Barry’s downward header shortly before halftime brought one of his best saves. Virgínia adjusted quickly and pushed the effort away when Everton appeared certain to take the lead.
He remained influential after the break.
Brennan Johnson found space after replacing Barry, but another promising Everton attack was cut out before it could become the breakthrough. Dibling also continued to cause problems from wide and central positions.
The longer the score remained 0-0, the more relevant Virgínia’s performance became.
Carabao Cup third-round ties go directly to penalties if level after 90 minutes, without extra time. Everton were only 10 minutes away from that possibility when Alcaraz finally beat him.
Everton vs Wolves Stats Show Why the Goal Was Coming
| Statistic | Everton | Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 0 |
| Shots | 14 | 5 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 2 |
| Possession | 59% | 41% |
| Fouls | 14 | 12 |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
| Corners | 6 | 2 |
Everton did not dominate every phase, but almost every attacking indicator favored the home side.
Fourteen shots to five is the clearest difference. Everton also doubled Wolves’ shots on target and produced three times as many corners.
Wolves had stretches where they carried the ball into Everton’s half, particularly during transitions, but the visitors rarely sustained pressure around Jordan Pickford’s penalty area.
Their best late opportunity came when Tommy Doyle tested Pickford after Everton had begun defending the 1-0 advantage.
Pickford made the save, and Wolves did not find another major opening.
That contrasts sharply with several other third-round ties. Fulham needed five goals and a late Oscar Bobb winner to eliminate West Ham, while Peterborough and Barnsley required a marathon penalty shootout.
Everton’s route was less chaotic. They simply had to remain patient long enough for the decisive chance to arrive.
Why Charly Alcaraz’s Goal Matters for Everton
Moyes’ substitutions changed the match without requiring Everton to abandon their structure.
That is an important detail.
Alcaraz had not started the game. Neither had George or Johnson. Everton were therefore able to introduce different types of attacking movement while Wolves were beginning to defend deeper.
Johnson gave the attack more direct running through the middle. George immediately attacked defenders from the left. Alcaraz occupied spaces behind the forward line.
The breakthrough came from that fresh layer of movement rather than a complete tactical reset.
For a club trying to compete across league and cup football, those contributions matter.
Everton’s second-round victory had been far more comfortable. Their 4-0 win at Preston featured in The Sports Encounter’s Carabao Cup Round Two review.
Wolves required a different type of performance.
This time, Everton had to solve a stubborn defensive block, survive the growing tension of a knockout match and trust the bench to provide the answer.
Alcaraz provided it.
Everton Get Revenge for Last Season’s Wolves Cup Defeat
The opponent and the stage gave the victory an additional layer.
Wolves knocked Everton out of the 2025-26 Carabao Cup at Molineux, winning 2-0 in the third round.
Everton arrived at Hill Dickinson Stadium knowing that another defeat would produce an identical exit one year later.
Instead, Wolves became the team leaving the competition.
The circumstances around the clubs have changed significantly since the previous meeting. Wolves are now competing in the Championship under César Peixoto, while Everton have entered another season under Moyes looking for greater consistency and a stronger cup run.
The visitors nevertheless arrived in decent form after beating Sheffield United in Championship action only days earlier. The EFL’s official report recorded Raúl Jiménez’s late winner at Bramall Lane.
That made Everton’s control more meaningful.
Wolves were not a side simply waiting to be eliminated. Everton had to wear them down.
Everton Reach a Carabao Cup Fourth Round Packed With Premier League Clubs
Everton now join a fourth-round field containing several major Premier League sides.
Liverpool qualified after beating Tottenham 3-1, with Dominik Szoboszlai sealing the result late in a match covered in The Sports Encounter’s Liverpool-Tottenham third-round report.
Arsenal advanced after Max Dowman’s two-goal performance at Portman Road. TSE examined the teenager’s impact in its Ipswich 2-4 Arsenal analysis.
Brentford survived a much closer tie at Reading, where Fabio Carvalho helped decide a 2-1 victory. That contest is covered in our Reading-Brentford match report.
The competition has therefore already produced several different routes into the last 16: comfortable wins, late winners, penalty shootouts and lower-league upsets.
Everton’s contribution was a night of sustained pressure finally rewarded by one moment of quality.
When Is the Carabao Cup Fourth Round Draw?
Everton entered the fourth-round draw as ball number 13.
The official EFL Round Four draw information confirms that the draw takes place after the Manchester United-Brighton third-round tie.
Fourth-round matches are scheduled for the week commencing October 26.
The remaining field includes Arsenal, Bournemouth, Bradford City, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Peterborough United and Sunderland, together with the winners of the remaining third-round matches.
That gives Everton a realistic possibility of another all-Premier League tie, although lower-league opposition also remain in the competition.
What Comes Next for Everton and Wolves?
Everton have very little time to enjoy the result.
Ipswich Town visit Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 19 as Moyes turns attention back to the Premier League.
The Toffees entered this cup tie after a goalless draw away at Tottenham, meaning they have now kept consecutive clean sheets across two competitions.
Wolves return to Championship action with one of their biggest fixtures of the season.
They host West Bromwich Albion at Molineux on September 20 in the Black Country derby. Wolves’ official derby information confirms the Sunday lunchtime fixture.
The cup exit therefore becomes a short turnaround rather than a prolonged setback.
For Everton, the schedule offers something more valuable: another competition remains alive.
Everton’s Win Was About Patience More Than Dominance
The 1-0 scoreline does not capture how much of the match Everton spent trying to solve the same problem.
Wolves defended their penalty area well. Virgínia saved the difficult efforts. Everton occasionally took an extra touch or allowed promising situations to slow down.
The important part was that the home side did not become increasingly reckless as the minutes disappeared.
Moyes used his bench.
Dibling kept attacking.
Everton continued moving the ball into the final third.
Eventually, the opening came.
That separates this performance from a night where possession simply becomes an empty statistic. Everton’s 59% share of the ball produced 14 shots, six corners and enough sustained pressure for the winning moment to feel earned rather than accidental.
Other Carabao Cup contenders have already shown that progression does not require a perfect performance. Fulham survived West Ham. Brentford survived Reading. Everton survived a goalkeeper determined to frustrate his former club.
Charly Alcaraz eventually made sure patience became progression.
Everton vs Wolves FAQs
Who won Everton vs Wolves in the Carabao Cup?
Everton won 1-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium and advanced to the fourth round.
Who scored the Everton goal against Wolves?
Charly Alcaraz scored the only goal in the 80th minute after coming on as a substitute.
What was the Everton vs Wolves possession?
Everton had 59% possession compared with Wolves’ 41%.
How many shots did Everton have against Wolves?
Everton attempted 14 shots and put four on target. Wolves had five attempts, with two on target.
Who was Wolves’ goalkeeper against Everton?
Former Everton goalkeeper João Virgínia started for Wolves and made several important saves before Alcaraz finally beat him.
Did Everton qualify for the Carabao Cup fourth round?
Yes. Everton advanced to the last 16 with the 1-0 victory.
When will the Carabao Cup fourth round be played?
Fourth-round fixtures are scheduled for the week commencing October 26, 2026.
Who do Everton play next?
Everton return to Premier League action against Ipswich Town at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 19.
Follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer coverage for the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw, match reports and the wider English football season.