• Competition: England - EFL Cup
• Date: Tuesday, 17th, September 2024
• Kickoff: 19:45 UK / 20.45 CEST
• Venue: Goodison Park (Liverpool)

Everton and Southampton, both enduring tough Premier League starts, will go head-to-head at Goodison Park on Tuesday as they seek to secure a place in the EFL Cup’s fourth round.

It’s clear as day that Everton has weakened in recent years and no longer carries the giant-killer aura they once had, with their survival battles becoming increasingly common, as each of the last three Premier League campaigns saw them finishing just a few points above the relegation zone. While the start of the new top-flight campaign offers no glimmer of positivity, the Merseyside side can boast solid runs in the EFL Cup recently, having reached the last-8 stage in three of the past five seasons, including last term where they were narrowly defeated in a dramatic penalty shootout by Fulham, 7-8.

After their long 11-year stint in the Premier League ended two seasons ago, Southampton wasted no time in regaining their elite status, as they emerged victorious in the Championship playoffs last term to earn promotion to the top tier of English football at their first attempt. Although their return doesn't bode well, Russell Martin's men will be looking to replicate their 2022-23 Carabao Cup campaign, when they reached the final four, and this year's quarter-final berth was sealed after a crazy match in which they overcame Cardiff in an eight-goal thriller (5-3).

Everton vs Southampton Betting Tips: BTTS

In the clash between the two bottom Premier League teams who have yet to add any points to their tally after four top-tier outings, we expect an open game filled with goals, as both will desperately seek a win as a remedy for their current troubles. While they have displayed great scoring abilities, Everton's backline suffers a lot and fails to stop the numerous goals flowing into their net, as highlighted by their recent pair of top-flight matches, where they shockingly squandered two-goal leads to lose 2-3 in back-to-back games against Bournemouth and Aston Villa. 

Defensive troubles are also crippling Southampton in the early part of the season, completely preventing them from even thinking about picking up points, and over the weekend they suffered another blow to their defense as they were soundly beaten 0-3 by a faltering Man Utd, marking their third straight match in which they conceded exactly three goals. While both sides' defensive ranks are in disarray, it should not be overlooked that these rivals' meetings at Goodison Park have often brought excitement and goals, with BTTS being covered in all but one of the last seven H2Hs, including the 2018 EFL Cup clash where the Saints knocked out the Toffees on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. 

As can be observed, both sides have serious difficulties in making up for defensive lapses, which are mountainous, and since both are eager to leave everything on the field for a win that would be a major injection to their confidence, we believe that the goalkeepers of both teams will be forced to retrieve the ball from their own net at least once.