Everton vs Ipswich: Moyes’ Men Seek to Build on Strong Start

Everton roll back into Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday for their second home game in four days, riding the lift of a cup win and an unbeaten league run. This time, it’s newly promoted Ipswich Town who arrive on Merseyside, and the mood around David Moyes’ squad is quietly shifting from relief to expectation.

Cup win sets the tone

On Wednesday night, Everton did just enough but did it well. A 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup’s third round wasn’t spectacular, yet it felt important.

The decisive moment came from Charly Alcaraz, who finished with his left foot after a sharp exchange with Tyler Dibling. One slick move, one clean strike, job done.

That win booked Everton a home tie with Newcastle United in the fourth round, to be played in the week beginning 26 October. A tougher test, a bigger stage, but that can wait. The immediate focus is on turning that midweek momentum into league points.

Unbeaten, but ready for more

Moyes’ side are still yet to lose in the Premier League this season: one win, three draws. Solid. Organised. But there’s a sense they’re ready to step up a gear.

Two promoted clubs come next on the schedule. Ipswich on Saturday, Hull City after the international break. On paper, Everton’s quality should carry them through both fixtures, especially with fringe players beginning to bang on the door after their midweek performances.

Dibling is the clearest example. Assistant manager Alan Irvine laid down the challenge before the Wolves game: “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’s answer was emphatic. He took Player of the Match and set up Alcaraz’s winner, exactly the kind of response that forces a manager to rethink his pecking order.

Irvine also spoke warmly about Alcaraz, saying he was “absolutely thrilled” for the Argentine, who is “massively disappointed” whenever he’s not in the starting XI. At 23, Alcaraz now gives Moyes something every manager secretly loves: a selection headache.

Ipswich adjusting quickly

Across the halfway line on Saturday will be a club that refuses to be overawed. Ipswich Town, promoted last season after finishing second, have not shrunk under Premier League lights.

Gary O’Neil’s side sit in midtable with two wins and two defeats. Respectable, especially given the fixture list they were handed. Opta’s Power Rankings marked their opening run as one of the toughest in the division, yet Ipswich have absorbed the blows and swung back.

Their last league outing told you plenty about their character. Away at Crystal Palace, they were dragged into a fight and came out on top, 3-2, thanks to a 90th-minute winner from Zian Flemming at Selhurst Park. That kind of late drama does more than add three points; it hardens belief.

So while Everton will expect to impose themselves at home, Ipswich arrive with enough confidence and resilience to turn this into a genuine contest.

Everton team news: big calls after big performances

Moyes used his pre-match press conference to offer a mixed update. Harrison Armstrong is available but not fully ready to start. Rohl remains sidelined, with little clarity on when he will return.

The real intrigue lies in how much weight the manager gives to those midweek displays. Alcaraz and Dibling both did everything they could to push for league minutes. The problem for them is positional: Everton are arguably strongest in the areas they occupy, out wide and in midfield. Cracking that starting XI is no easy task.

At the back, Jarrad Branthwaite is expected to return to the side after his England call-up, partnering James Tarkowski in central defence. Both were rested for the Wolves win, where Jake O’Brien and Michael Keane formed the pairing. The first-choice duo should restore a more familiar look to the back line.

Predicted Everton XI

Moyes is likely to stick with his preferred 4-3-2-1 shape:

• Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Hackney, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall; Grealish, Barry, George.

That setup gives Everton control in midfield and plenty of movement behind the central striker, with options on the bench if the game tightens or opens up.

Match details

• Kick-off: 3pm BST, Saturday 19 September 2026
• Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool

The game will not be shown live in the UK due to the Saturday 3pm blackout, so this one belongs to those inside the ground and those following along from afar.

Everton stand at an interesting crossroads: unbeaten, building, yet still searching for that statement performance. Ipswich, fearless and newly arrived, won’t make it easy.

Is this the afternoon when Moyes’ side stop merely avoiding defeat and start shaping their season?