Five-Star Everton Soar Again

Everton's soaring season continued to surge with an impressive 5-2 victory over Joey Barton's Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup Third Round. Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti must have been quite serious about the League One's 10th-placed outfit; as he played a rather strong team; with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin; Richarlison; Michael Keane and Jordan Pickford all starting.

And that decision seemed to pay off; as the superior skill & movement of Everton soon over-consumed the home side; with Richarlison scoring the first two goals to put Everton in a commanding position. The attacking trident of Bernard, Alex Iwobi & Richarlison was combining well; with their verve and movement providing problems for the home team.

Just when Everton seemed to have total control of the contest; Jordan Pickford made a mistake to afford a lifeline back to the home side; with his poor pass being intercepted and converted by second-half substitute Mark Duffy to reduce the arrears to 2-1. Duffy had actually come on in the second half for centre-back Sam Stubbs; son of ex-Everton legend Alan Stubbs; a dead ringer for his old man.

Alex Iwobi managed to almost instantly restore Everton's two-goal advantage after good work on the left from substitute Anthony Gordon; but another mistake from Pickford allowed Fleetwood to reduce the arrears again; this time after a lovely overhead kick from Callum Camps was rather howlingly let in by the England No. 1; who seemed to move even before the ball reached him.

It was the impressive Bernard who more or less put this game beyond doubt; rifling in a lovely right-foot volley after more good work on the right from Gordon. And the icing happened on the cake in the final minute of stoppage time; when the impressive Niels Nkounkou surged to the bye-line and produced a deft flick back for substitute Moise Kean to score home.

Everton now move on to a tasty-looking home encounter with ex-manager David Moyes' West Ham United in the fourth round next week.