Everton vs Burnley. Carabao Cup Fourth Round.
Goodison ParkAttendance38,841.
James Tarkowski, Amadou Onana and Ashley Young with the goals as Everton beat Burnley 3-0 at Goodison Park to reach quarter-finals of Carabao Cup; Toffees record a fifth win in seven in all competitions on night former chairman Bill Kenwright, who passed away last month, is remembered
Thursday 2 November 2023 00:00, UK
Everton cruised into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with James Tarkowski, Amadou Onana and Ashley Young on target in a routine 3-0 victory over Burnley at Goodison Park on the night Bill Kenwright was remembered.
Former Burnley defender Tarkowski nodded in a cross from another ex-Clarets man, Dwight McNeil, to put the Toffees 1-0 up in the 13th minute, before his cushioned header back across goal from a McNeil corner was stabbed in by Onana eight minutes into the second half.
Young, back in the side after suspension, wrapped up Everton's win in stoppage time after some excellent work down the left from substitute Beto as Sean Dyche's men made it five wins in seven games in all competitions - their best run in a non-Covid-19 season since May 2019.
Majority owner Farhad Moshiri was in attendance - his first visit since 2021 - for the first home fixture since the passing of Everton chairman Kenwright at the age of 78 last month, with Kenwright remembered through a period of applause before kick-off.
Burnley huffed and puffed and dominated the possession stats but failed to seriously test Jordan Pickford on the goalkeeper's 250th appearance for Everton as the visitors' hopes of making the last eight of the League Cup for the first time since 2008/09 were dashed.
The scoreline flattered Burnley, struggling after promotion straight back to the Premier League, as the side with seven changes from the weekend's top-flight defeat to Bournemouth failed to lay a glove on their opponents.
From the moment Tarkowski buried his header past Clarets goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, the result was never in doubt.
The centre-back's celebration was low-key against his former team but McNeil, whose first-half stint on the left wing put him in the firing line of the travelling support, turned and cupped his ear to Clarets fans.
The winger was booed by the travelling fans but almost silenced them completely with a drive just over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.
Burnley's inability to play out from the back against better-quality opposition was highlighted when Dara O'Shea, one of four players to be retained from the Bournemouth defeat, passed straight to the impressive Dominic Calvert-Lewin and was fortunate the striker's low shot was off-target.
Everton were barely tested and more calamitous defending early in the second half led to another goal, with Ameen Al-Dakhil losing his bearings as the ball fell into Calvert-Lewin's path and the attacker's shot was deflected behind.
Onana converted from the resulting corner and another close-range strike from Young - his first goal for the club - saw Everton coast into the quarter-finals.
Everton manager Sean Dyche:
"If you want to go and be really super-successful you will play a lot of football so I want the players to realise they can play three games a week, that they can have the mentality and take these games on.
"The support systems have never been greater so I don't think it's a lot to ask players to play three in a week. At the end of the day, I want the mentality to be 'I want to play every game'.
"It's not finished but it's building. It's work in progress but there is progress. When you start winning people start to believe a bit more. I think the players are beginning to believe more and more.
"Five in seven is a good marker. The players deserve it, they are working very hard on the training pitch."
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany:
"I have never mastered the art of feeling good after a defeat. The first half was good but mistakes cost us at this level. You don't accept it, absolutely not. But you put it into context because it could make your head crazy. Is it a bad performance? No.
"The worrying thing would be if you didn't have belief in the squad but that's not the case. These are steps we have to make. You go through such a huge gap between the Championship and Premier League.
"It is not an excuse but motivation to get better. When you get promoted it is not supposed to be easy. You are on a journey. That is part of what we are experiencing now."
Everton host Brighton as they return to Premier League action on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
Burnley take on Crystal Palace at Turf Moor in the league on Saturday; kick-off 3pm.
