Everton and Aston Villa entered the fourth round of the match EFL Cup with wins on Wednesday night.
Everton overcame the challenge of newly relegated Wolves at home thanks to a late goal from Charly Alcaraz with premiership Andy Burnham in the crowd.
And Villa needed two goals from Tammy Abraham to defeat Coventry and continue their poor start to the season.
League Two Fleetwood Town soldiered on after a fine home win against Sheffield United.
Abraham in the song
Abraham issued a timely reminder of his quality to Unai Emery’s boss with a decisive brace for Villa.
Having spurned summer loan moves following Nicolas Jackson’s £65million arrival, Abraham opened the scoring after seven minutes. Although Victor Torp briefly equalized with a sublime 25-yard free-kick, Coventry’s defensive frailties resurfaced. Ross Barkley glanced home an unmarked header before the break, and Abraham sealed progression just before the hour mark by heading home John McGinn’s corner to condemn the struggling Sky Blues to a fifth defeat in six games.
At the Hill Dickinson Stadium, David Moyes’ Everton were repeatedly frustrated by former Toffees goalkeeper Joao Virginia, who brilliantly denied Thierno Barry. However, the breakthrough came in the 80th minute when substitute Alcaraz burst into the box and scored his first goal for the club in 13 months.
The clash of the round came at a wet and windy Highbury Stadium, where Fleetwood made club history when Rhys Norrington-Davies inadvertently headed Danny Andrew’s cross into his own net.
Wednesday’s EFL Cup results
Everton 1-0 Wolves
Fleetwood 1-0 Sheffield United
Coventry 1-3 Aston Villa
