Everton vs Ipswich: Moyes' Men Aim for Statement Win
Everton roll back into Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday for their second home game in four days, carrying both momentum and expectation into a tricky-looking meeting with newly promoted Ipswich Town.
On Wednesday night, David Moyes’ side edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 in the Carabao Cup. It was a tight cup tie, decided by a sharp, left-footed finish from Charly Alcaraz after a slick exchange with Tyler Dibling. One moment of quality, job done, Everton through.
The reward came later that evening: a home draw against Newcastle United in the fourth round, to be played in the week commencing 26 October. Another big test, another sign that Everton are operating in serious company again.
Unbeaten, but impatient for wins
The league form has been solid rather than spectacular, but there’s a platform. Everton are still unbeaten in the Premier League, with one win and three draws on the board. It’s the kind of start that keeps nerves calm but also stirs a quiet frustration. This squad looks capable of more.
Two promoted sides now stand in front of them. Ipswich on Saturday, Hull City after the international break. On paper, Everton’s quality should tell. On grass, they still have to prove it, especially with several fringe players loudly staking their claim in midweek.
Dibling and Alcaraz did exactly that. And they did it under direct challenge.
“I’ve told you, 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.” That was Assistant Manager Alan Irvine’s message to Dibling before kick-off against Wolves.
The winger’s answer? Player of the Match, an assist for the winner, and a performance that will be hard to ignore.
Irvine didn’t hide his delight afterwards. He said he was “absolutely thrilled” for Alcaraz too, underlining how “massively disappointed” the Argentine is when he’s not in the starting XI. Now the 23-year-old has made himself harder to leave out. Exactly the kind of selection headache Moyes wants.
Ipswich adjusting quickly
Across the halfway line on Saturday will be an Ipswich Town side that refuses to behave like a timid newcomer.
Promoted last season after finishing second in the Championship, Gary O’Neil’s team have stepped into the Premier League with intent. Two wins and two defeats leave them in midtable, a respectable return given the fixture list they’ve been handed. Opta’s Power Rankings rated it as one of the toughest starts of any side in the division.
They’ve not folded. Far from it.
Last time out in the league, Ipswich dug deep to snatch a 3-2 win away at Crystal Palace. A 90th-minute strike from Zian Flemming settled a breathless contest at Selhurst Park and sent the Suffolk club home with belief to match their points tally. That kind of late winner doesn’t just change a scoreline; it changes a dressing room.
Everton team news: decisions, not dilemmas
Moyes’ pre-match update brought a mixed but manageable picture.
Harrison Armstrong is fit, though not fully ready to start. Rohl remains unavailable, with the specifics of his injury still kept deliberately vague. It leaves Everton short of being at absolute full strength, but far from weakened.
The real intrigue lies in whether Moyes rewards his cup performers. Alcaraz and Dibling will both be pushing to feature again. Breaking into the starting XI might be a big ask, given that Everton are particularly strong in wide and midfield areas, but both have at least forced their manager to pause before writing his team sheet.
At the back, the spine should be restored. Jarrad Branthwaite, fresh from his England call-up, is expected to return at centre-back alongside James Tarkowski after both were rested in midweek. Jake O’Brien partnered Michael Keane against Wolves, and did his job, but this is likely to be the first-choice pairing for the league.
Predicted Everton XI
Moyes is expected to stick with a 4-3-2-1 shape:
- Pickford;
- Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko;
- Hackney, Garner, Dewsbury-Hall;
- Grealish, Barry, George.
It’s a line-up that leans on control in midfield and creativity between the lines, with enough flexibility for the two attacking midfielders to drift and combine. The question is whether there’s room for the midweek heroes from the bench to influence the game late on.
Match details
Everton vs Ipswich Town
Kick-off: 3pm BST, Saturday 19 September 2026
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
The game falls under the UK’s Saturday 3pm broadcast embargo, so there will be no live television coverage domestically.
An unbeaten Everton, a fearless Ipswich, and a fanbase that senses this season might finally be building towards something: Saturday will show whether this steady start can harden into a genuine push up the table, or whether the newcomers from Suffolk have another shock in them.
