Preston North End host Everton at Deepdale in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 local time. The two teams enter this cup tie in sharply contrasting form. Preston have not won any of their last five matches and suffered a 3-1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 22, while Everton arrive after beating Crystal Palace 2-0 on the same date. Recent results and the head-to-head record give the visitors the stronger profile, although Preston have already demonstrated their ability to survive a close knockout contest after eliminating Huddersfield on penalties in the previous round.

Preston North End Recent Form and Key Statistics

Preston North End reached this stage by drawing 1-1 with Huddersfield in regulation time before prevailing 4-3 in the penalty shootout. Consequently, their Carabao Cup record for the season stands at no wins, one draw and no defeats in regulation time, with averages of 1.0 goal scored and 1.0 conceded.

The broader form is considerably less encouraging. Preston have registered no victories, one draw and four defeats across their last five matches, scoring an average of 1.0 goal per game and conceding 2.0. Their most recent result was the 3-1 loss at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, while the supplied match context states that they have gone eight matches without a regulation-time win across competitive and friendly fixtures, recording one draw and seven defeats during that sequence.

Defensive vulnerability has been a recurring issue for the home side. Preston have conceded at least once in each of their last 18 matches, and their recent games have consistently produced multiple goals: every one of their last 16 fixtures has contained more than 1.5 total goals. These trends underline the challenge facing them against an Everton team that enters the tie with superior recent results.

The first half may be especially important for Preston. They have been behind at half-time in each of their last four matches, including all four of their latest home fixtures. There is also a strong pattern of action after the interval, with at least one second-half goal recorded in 19 of Preston's last 20 home matches. Avoiding another slow start could therefore be central to their hopes of staying competitive at Deepdale.

Everton Recent Form and Key Statistics

Everton approach this Carabao Cup encounter with greater momentum. Their latest outing produced a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, giving them a winning start to their Premier League campaign. That performance also supplied a clean sheet immediately before the trip to face Preston.

The visitors' last-five record offers another clear contrast with that of their hosts. Everton have collected three wins, one draw and one defeat during that period, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 1.2 conceded per match. Preston, by comparison, have lost four of five and have conceded twice per game on average. Those figures give Everton a stronger recent balance at both ends of the pitch.

Second-half goals have also featured regularly in Everton's matches. At least one goal after the break has been scored in 21 of their last 22 fixtures. When this trend is considered alongside Preston's equivalent home sequence, the possibility of the tie changing or opening up after half-time becomes a notable feature of the preview.

The historical data further favours the away side. Everton won the last head-to-head meeting 3-0 on August 3, 2024, and the supplied three-match summary gives Preston no wins, no draws and three defeats. Across those encounters, Preston averaged no goals scored and 2.7 conceded. The match context also records a 2-0 Everton victory in the teams' 2004 EFL Cup third-round meeting.

Preston North End vs Everton Match Analysis

The available evidence points toward Everton carrying the stronger overall case into this cup fixture. They have won three of their last five matches, have just recorded a 2-0 victory and hold a perfect three-win record in the supplied head-to-head summary. Preston, meanwhile, are attempting to recover from consecutive defeats and have failed to win any of their latest five games.

The probability assessment gives Everton a 42% chance of winning, compared with 32% for Preston and 26% for the draw. The decimal match odds also position the visitors as favourites, with Everton priced at 1.53, Preston at 5.75 and the draw at 4.33. While those numbers do not eliminate the uncertainty associated with a knockout match, they reinforce the difference between the teams' recent records.

Goals are another major theme. The probabilities for both teams to score and over 2.5 goals are each set at 51%, leaving both markets only narrowly favoured. However, Preston's run of 16 straight matches with over 1.5 total goals is much more decisive, as is their sequence of conceding in 18 consecutive games. Their average of two goals conceded across the last five matches provides Everton with an opportunity to build on the two goals scored against Crystal Palace.

Preston's previous-round penalty success shows that they can remain in contention during a tight cup tie, but their recurring first-half difficulties create a significant concern. Having trailed at the interval in four consecutive matches and four straight home games, the Lilywhites can ill afford to give Everton an early advantage. The visitors' recent form, scoring average and head-to-head superiority make an away victory the most coherent conclusion from the supplied data.

Preston North End vs Everton prediction from BetMines: Everton win (2) with 42% probability.