What a difference four days can make.

In the build-up to Thursday’s Carabao Cup round-of-16 clash against Newcastle at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the mood around Everton was somewhat sombre. The Blues had put in incredibly tepid performances against Chelsea and Arsenal to fall to back-to-back losses in the Premier League, with just three points separating the Toffees from the bottom three.

There was then unwanted bombshell news when it was announced that Jack Grealish would not feature in what is an already anaemic squad due to a breach of club discipline.

With the incredibly generous shadow of a last-eight clash with Fleetwood looming large, Everton were sure to mess it up weren’t they? The momentum was firmly against us, we’ve never fared well in this competition and the Grealish news was surely an awful prophecy for a miserable week? Not so.

Not only were David Moyes’ men excellent last Thursday at home, they followed it up with a consummate away display to win round two against the Magpies and propel themselves up to seventh in the table, and with a clean sheet to boot.

In addition to the incredible feelgood factor this double success has given us, it is also worth considering whether we have learned something incredibly important in these four short days – do we now know what Moyes’ strongest XI is?

It may seem a strange question to ask given we’ve hardly got a plethora of options due to the thin nature of the squad, but there has still been a lot of chopping and changing going on in the early stages of the campaign, with the Scotsman seemingly not too sure who to regularly field in some problem positions.

The two victories against Newcastle might just have answered all those questions – especially the league victory on Monday.

Go through every single position on the pitch and everyone looked bang at it on Monday night, and it is hard to see how this XI is not the one that will be fielded on Friday evening against Coventry.

In Goal and at the Back

Jordan Pickford put in two determined, assured and focussed performances, with his late save from Yoane Wissa on Monday potentially a huge moment in the Toffees’ season.

Jake O’Brien was something of a surprise selection at right-back, but he simply started where he left off from 2025-26, with a defensively solid display that was a nice change of pace from some of the scary moments that can be provided by Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Merlin Rohl.

Meanwhile, it is no coincidence that the Blues were back to keeping a clean sheet following the reintroduction of Jarrad Branthwaite, who always brings the best out of James Tarkowski, who was utterly brilliant in both clashes. Vitalii Mykolenko’s only competition, meanwhile, is injuries, and he made a welcome return in both games with two decent outings.

The Midfield Takes Shape

The main question mark going into the league fixture was whether Moyes could really drop Hayden Hackney after his inspirational showing in the cup clash, with Harrison Armstrong looking comparably weaker.

However, Moyes stuck to his guns, surely preferring the academy product’s tenacity and energy in a tricky away fixture and it proved a masterstroke as Armstrong put in comfortably his best display of the campaign, buzzing about the Magpies’ middle third at will, breaking the play and driving forward tirelessly as well.

There is a question about whether Hackney perhaps comes in when the Blues are at home and have to break down a low block (Friday’s match will therefore be interesting), but certainly in the bigger, tougher games, it looks like Armstrong has cemented his place alongside the guarantee that is James Garner, who looked back to his best in both matches after a so-so start to the season.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has always been a lock in the ten position and will be a lock elsewhere if injuries need him to shift his position, because he is simply too good to drop. The former Chelsea man is Everton’s engine, driving forward through the lines, working his socks off and providing that final third quality that the Toffees perhaps lack from other players.

Rohl’s Surprise Role

Merlin Rohl was another surprise choice, but he looked so much more comfortable in an advanced right-hand side position on the flank rather than in a back four. The German was his usual bundle of energy, but this time it felt more controlled and well-directed, rather than it being compensation for a lack of positional awareness and experience.

Rohl isn’t by any means a player who will unlock doors with coruscating through balls or Kevin de Bruyne-esque passes, but his constant forays down the right flank are worth their weight in gold during transition, especially away from home.

There is an argument to be made that Tyler Dibling possesses more skill and ability to break down a stubborn defence, so could be fielded this Friday, but he has never looked fully comfortable in an Everton shirt, playing within himself at times. However, Rohl looked every inch a player who knew his role and worth to the side on Monday and will be fancying his chances of getting a second run-out there in a few days’ time.

Grealish Out, George In

Meanwhile, Grealish’s forced absence is bad news for the depth of the squad but could be excellent news for the productivity of the starting line-up, as it now forces a situation that a lot of Evertonians have wanted for a while – giving Tyrique George a real run.

It feels like Grealish’s sustained run in the team was down to his reputation and what he apparently represents rather than the reality of what he actually offers. This was potentially hindering the development of George, who took his time to get back into the swing of things against Arsenal and then the first clash with Newcastle, but was back to his sparkling best in the second match-up with Matthias Jaissle’s men.

There are still rough edges to smooth out in George’s game, but the only way to do that is to let him have a regular run of starts and accept the inevitable mistakes, while trusting they will be drowned out by his efficiency and invention in the final third.

Barry Leads the Line

And finally, Thierno Barry has of course been the Blues’ go-to guy up top, but more than it just being out of necessity now, it feels like he is starting to make the position his own on merit.

The Frenchman is still by no means an elite striker, but he is growing into the role and it is pleasing to see him score in back-to-back games with different types of goals – a fine touch and finish on Thursday followed by a scrappy, poacher’s effort on Monday. All this means that Barry is second only to the irrepressible Erling Haaland for goals scored in all competitions by Premier League players in the current term.

A Blueprint for the Season

The Newcastle double-header has helped Everton rediscover their confidence, while things are suddenly looking good in both league and cup for the Blues. But as well as all this, these two victories against Newcastle might just have provided David Moyes with a blueprint for further success in 2026-27.