Everton 3-1 Newcastle: Moyes’ Cup Plan Lands, Howe Pays for Waste

Everton are into the League Cup quarter-finals. In the Round of 16 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on 29 October 2026, they beat Newcastle 3-1, a result built on sharp finishing, Jordan Pickford’s resistance, and a midfield performance from Hayden Hackney that changed the tie before Newcastle could make their volume count.

D. Moyes set Everton up in a 4-2-3-1, with Jordan Pickford behind M. Röhl, James Tarkowski, Jarrad O'Brien and Vitaliy Mykolenko. Hayden Hackney and James Garner formed the double pivot, with Tyler Dibling, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George behind Thierno Barry.

E. Howe matched that with Newcastle’s own 4-2-3-1: Lukas Horníček in goal, Amar Dedić, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn and Lewis Hall across the back, Jacob Ramsey with Nico González in midfield, then Jacob Murphy, Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes behind William Osula.

Same shape. Very different levels of control where it mattered.

Garner and Hackney Give Everton the Tie

Newcastle had more of the ball, more territory and more shots. Everton had the cleaner moments and punished them better.

The breakthrough came in the 34th minute, when James Garner scored for Everton, assisted by Hayden Hackney. It was the sort of goal that tilted the tie because it rewarded Moyes’ decision to keep Garner and Hackney close together: not just as screeners, but as launch points.

Then came the real blow. In the 45th minute, Hayden Hackney scored, assisted by Thierno Barry, and Newcastle went in two goals down despite having enough attacking presence to suggest the tie should still have been open.

Hackney’s influence was obvious: one goal, one assist, two shots on target, and the edge Everton needed in a cup match that became increasingly spiky. His yellow card in the 60th minute for not retreating was a warning sign, and Moyes acted five minutes later, sending on Harrison Armstrong for Hackney in the 65th minute. Sensible management. The damage had already been done.

Howe Rolls the Dice at Half-Time

Howe did not wait. At half-time, Newcastle made three changes: Yoane Wissa came on for William Osula, Anthony Elanga came on for Harvey Barnes, and Joelinton came on for Jacob Ramsey.

The message was clear: more running, more power, more threat between and around Everton’s back line. Newcastle did increase the pressure. Joe Willock became central to that push, finishing with six key passes and later providing the assist for Newcastle’s goal. Nico González kept the passing moving until he was replaced in the 81st minute by Sean Steur. Lewis Hall and Jacob Murphy helped Newcastle build attacks wide before Murphy made way for Bazoumana Touré in the 67th minute.

But this was where the tie hardened around one figure: Pickford.

Everton’s goalkeeper made 8 saves. Newcastle had 9 shots on goal, 28 total shots, 10 corners, and 2.12 expected goals. They still scored only once. That was not bad luck alone. It was also a finishing problem, and it was Pickford doing what elite cup goalkeepers do: keeping panic out of the building.

Barry Finishes It

The third goal arrived in the 69th minute. Thierno Barry scored, assisted by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

That goal mattered because it killed the first wave of Newcastle’s second-half comeback. Barry had already assisted Hackney in the 45th minute. Now he had his own goal. His match was not ornamental: one goal, one assist, three key passes, two shots on target, and nine duels won. He gave Everton an outlet when they had only 44% possession, and his ability to stay involved allowed Moyes’ side to survive long spells without the ball.

Dewsbury-Hall also deserves the mention. He supplied the assist in the 69th minute, carried Everton forward when transitions appeared, and accepted the ugly part of the night too, taking a yellow card in the 74th minute for a foul before being replaced by Christian Nørgaard in the 86th minute.

Moyes then refreshed the wide areas in the 76th minute, with Brennan Johnson on for Tyler Dibling and Charly Alcaraz on for Tyrique George. Later, in the 86th minute, Ainsley Maitland-Niles came on for Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Burn Scores, Then It Boils Over

Newcastle finally found a way through in the 88th minute, when Dan Burn scored, assisted by Joe Willock.

It gave Howe’s side a late flicker, but not much more. A minute later, the match turned into an argument. In the 89th minute, James Tarkowski, Joelinton, Dan Burn and Jordan Pickford were all shown yellow cards for argument. It was a messy end, but it also told the story of the night: Newcastle frustration, Everton defiance.

There had already been signs of the temperature rising. In the 81st minute, Fabian Schär and Vitaliy Mykolenko were both booked for argument.

No red cards. Plenty of needle.

Match Numbers

The numbers say Newcastle created enough to make this uncomfortable. The score says Everton were ruthless and better protected their decisive moments.

That is cup football, but not random cup football. Moyes’ side accepted the terms: defend, compete, break with purpose, trust Pickford, and make the big chances count.

What It Means

Everton move into the League Cup quarter-finals with momentum: a Premier League opponent beaten, three different scorers, and a centre-forward in Barry who looked central to the plan.

For Newcastle, the proposal was volume. The return was poor. Howe changed it early, Willock created, Burn scored in the 88th minute, but the tie had already slipped away in the key moments either side of half-time.

Everton avoided the late drama becoming decisive. They got their work done in normal time.