The wildly optimistic Evertonian – if such a being exists – could not have envisaged David Moyes’ side fifth in the Premier League with Thierno Barry just behind Erling Haaland in the goalscoring chart when their transfer window closed in calamitous fashion. Yet there they sit, team and striker defying all expectations, following a stirring comeback against luckless Coventry.
Frank Lampard endured a torturous night against his old club as Coventry impressed but were refused two strong penalty claims. The Coventry manager felt his team were denied a third time by the video assistant referee for an apparent handball by Barry when edging Everton ahead. Replays were inconclusive. It was the dancing French forward’s second goal of the game and 10th in all competitions this season. He also delivered a fine assist for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as the in-form midfielder put his latest England disappointment behind him to seal victory in convincing style.
It was a landmark occasion for Moyes as he equalled the great Harry Catterick’s record of 592 games in charge of Everton. “Seeing my name alongside Harry Catterick’s is hugely humbling and I hope I can continue to add to that figure,” the Scot wrote in his programme notes. “What I really hope, though, is that I can bring trophies to the club like Harry Catterick did.” Equalling Catterick’s collection of two league titles and an FA Cup may be beyond Moyes, who is in the final year of his Everton contract and working in very different times, but what he is doing with the smallest squad in the Premier League ranks as an achievement itself.
The Everton manager said post-match: “It’s great if I can build expectations because that means we are doing well but at some point someone is going to say ‘Look at the size of their squad’ and you might have to calm down. It might catch up with us at some point but I have to say the boys are doing really well.”
Moyes’ team laboured until falling behind to Yann Gboho’s opener early in the second half. From that moment they roused themselves and showed the clinical touch and smart decision-making that eluded Coventry, but luck was also on their side.
James Tarkowski survived two penalty appeals in one go when leaping between Caleb Yirenkyi and Ethan Pinnock to clear a Coventry free-kick. The Everton captain appeared to pull the former’s hair and raise an arm towards the latter’s face. Neither the referee, Stuart Attwell, nor the VAR, Timothy Wood, considered the hair-pull had met this season’s higher threshold for excessive force. Last season Tarkowski would have been sent off.
Lampard said: “The rules are fine. It’s not a red card and I kind of get that, but the rule remains it’s a foul so I felt it was a foul.” Coventry were denied a second penalty claim when Taiwo Awoniyi went down under a challenge from Vitalii Mykolenko. “Taiwo is on the line of the box and it is a penalty,” said Lampard. “I thought it was a penalty by the time Myko’s knee was in the back of Taiwo’s knee.”
Coventry finally, deservedly, got a break when benefiting from some abysmal Everton defending to take the lead. The influential Jack Rudoni was involved with a pass into Gboho who, with the aid of a deflection off Tarkowski, easily held off Merlin Röhl, Harrison Armstrong and Jarrad Branthwaite before poking a shot past the unsighted Jordan Pickford.
Less than 10 minutes later, and to general astonishment, Lampard’s team were behind. Tyler Dibling had been quiet on his first league start of the season but was involved in the Everton equaliser with a dangerous cross from the right. Coventry failed to clear and when Mykolenko swept in a cross at the second attempt Barry, showing good strength to hold off Jay Dasilva, beat Carl Rushworth with an emphatic header.
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The French striker soon reached double figures for the campaign when bundling home Tyrique George’s delivery to the far post. Dasilva made a mess of his attempted clearance and headed the ball against Barry – his hand, possibly – before it spun past Rushworth and over the line.
There was no questioning the legitimacy of Barry’s next goal involvement. The confident striker split the Coventry defence with a superb pass into Dewsbury-Hall, who ended his disappointing day on a high by racing clear and beating Rushworth with a precise finish inside the keeper’s near post.
Moyes called Barry’s display “fabulous”. He expanded: “Haaland’s worried about him catching him now! I don’t see many young centre-forwards scoring loads of goals in the Premier League. He’s settled down a bit more now. His language, hisunderstanding and his communication is much better as well. Obviously he’s working hard to get in those positions to score. I’m really pleased for him.”
