Carabao Cup Preview: Saints look to unlikely Goodison win to kickstart season

Carabao Cup Preview: Saints look to unlikely Goodison win to kickstart season

by Conor Dunford, South Cast Correspondent

Everton and Southampton meet in the last tie of the Carabao Cup third round, with the winner hoping to progress to take on Leicester City at The King Power stadium.

Both sides are enduring a poor run of form in the league, with both sides winning just once in the last five league games. Everton do though come into the tie off the back of that win, a 3-0 defeat of Fulham at Goodison Park, whereas Southampton succumbed to a drab 2-0 loss at Wolves as they drop closer to the relegation zone.

Both sides will be hoping a cup run can lift the players and supporters alike, but changes are expected from both sides with key Premier League fixtures around the corner.

Southampton boss Mark Hughes has vented his frustrations at individual errors costing his side points, and will be looking to others in the squad to take advantage and put themselves in the frame for a starting spot. The likes of Maya Yoshida, Manolo Gabbiadini and James Ward-Prowse are expected to line up on Tuesday night and prove they are worthy of first choice berths.

Marco Silva will also be looking to some fringe players to get some minutes and capture some form, both Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun have struggled to find the net on a regular basis and will be looking at this as a perfect opportunity to rectify that. Ademola Lookman may also finally get an opportunity to show what he is about after he was an unused substitute in that win over Fulham.

Southampton got to the final of the Carabao Cup in 2017, losing 3-2 to Manchester United and a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal. Everton meanwhile will want to work towards their first League Cup final appearance since 1984, when they out to fierce rivals Liverpool 1-0.

The pressure is on both teams and managers to perform, with both being questioned in recent times. But the pressure is certainly on the Southampton manager and side more than it is their Everton counterparts.

With home advantage and a win under their belt at the weekend, Everton have a huge psychological advantage over the south coast side.

Prediction: Everton 2-0 Southampton