Southampton put their difficult start to the Premier League season to one side to beat Everton 4-3 on penalties and progress to the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Defender Cedric Soares scored the decisive spot-kick after misses from the hosts’ £45million summer signing Richarlison and fellow substitute Theo Walcott, whose 85th-minute equaliser had sent the tie to a shoot-out.

Mark Hughes’ side, who have won just once in the league so far this term, will travel to Leicester City in the next round.

It means Everton have now been eliminated in six of their last seven League Cup ties against top-flight opposition, despite Walcott cancelling out Danny Ings’ first-half goal.

The hosts were nearly caught out in the third minute when Ings latched onto a simple long ball but goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg rushed from his line to save with his legs.

But it was a rare moment of drama in an otherwise cagey opening, typified by Everton striker Cenk Tosun dithering and taking on one defender too many near the penalty spot as the home fans bellowed for him to shoot.

The Turk’s belated effort was blocked and winger Ademola Lookman saw his follow-up similarly smothered.

That sparked a shift in tempo from Everton, as Brazilian Bernard’s low drive forced Saints keeper Angus Dunn into a diving save moments later.

Silva’s signing from Shakhtar Donetsk was making his first start after previously impressing from the bench, and was the orchestrator of many of Everton’s first-half attacks.

He went going close again before Lookman, 20, also making his first start since spending the second half of last season on loan at Bundesliga side Leipzig, tested Gunn with a deft curling strike from 20 yards.

By then Everton were dominant but unable to make their possession count, and they almost paid for it when Morgan Schneiderlin’s under-hit back-pass allowed Nathan Redmond to fizz a shot just past the upright.

That emboldened the visitors, who were ahead within a couple of minutes.

Redmond’s diagonal ball in the area was collected by Ings, who guided his shot through a tangle of legs and inside the far post.

It was the 26-year-old’s second goal in consecutive appearances at this ground, after the on-loan Liverpool striker netted in Southampton’s 2-1 Goodison defeat in August.

Stekelenburg was rooted to the spot for the opener but made a crucial stop from Jack Stephens’ header just after the hour as the Saints pushed for a second.

Next midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired narrowly over after beating Everton’s offside trap.

The introduction of Brazilian Richarlison inspired Everton and he became an instant menace, almost winning a penalty one moment and a free-kick just outside the area the next.

But it was fellow substitute Walcott who gave them a lifeline, collecting Oumar Niasse’s pass to calmly equalise.

Then unmarked defender Michael Keane sent a header over the bar from eight yards just before full-time.

However once again Everton were made to regret their missed chances after Richarlison was first to miss in the shoot-out, blazing over after a stuttering run-up.

Stekelenburg denied Matt Targett but Walcott could not beat Gunn and Cedric duly set up a tie with the Foxes.