Everton came from behind in the second half to defeat Coventry 3-1, as Thierno Barry netted twice and then assisted Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s late goal. The victory moved the Toffees up to fifth in the Premier League and marked a significant milestone for David Moyes as manager.
Barry scored two goals within five minutes after Yann Gboho had given Coventry the lead. The forward then provided the assist for Dewsbury-Hall to clinch the win with nine minutes left.
The 24-year-old has now found the net 10 times in 13 appearances across all competitions this season, including six in the Premier League. His latest display also meant that Frank Lampard’s return to Everton ended in loss.
The victory was Moyes’ 592nd match in charge of the club, equalling Harry Catterick’s record for the most games managed at Everton.
Thierno Barry drives Everton’s comeback against Coventry
Coventry started strongly and remained competitive throughout the first half. They created chances through Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, whose shot was saved by Jordan Pickford, and Jack Rudoni, who shot wide. The visitors also felt they should have had a penalty when James Tarkowski pulled Caleb Yirenkyi’s hair.
The Sky Blues eventually broke the deadlock seven minutes into the second half. Gboho, surrounded by three Everton defenders, managed to poke the ball into the net in the 52nd minute.
Everton replied swiftly. Five minutes later, Barry headed in the equaliser and then scored again from close range soon after to put the hosts ahead.
The striker capped an excellent performance by setting up Dewsbury-Hall, who struck Everton’s third with nine minutes remaining. The midfielder had been left out of England manager Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad.
Everton and Coventry analysis: Barry excels as visitors decline
Barry’s fine form has revolutionised Everton’s attacking threat. After scoring just eight goals last season following his £27m transfer from Villarreal, he has already exceeded that tally with 10 goals in 13 appearances this term. It took him 16 matches to score his first goal for the club in the 2025-26 campaign.
His six Premier League goals place him level with Liverpool’s Aleksander Isak in the scoring charts, with only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland ahead of them. Although there was a bit of luck about his second-half winner, Barry’s current form has made him a key figure for the Toffees.
Coventry, on the other hand, will feel that some decisions went against them, especially the penalty appeal involving Tarkowski and Yirenkyi. However, the guidance on such incidents has been loosened this season, meaning that pulling an opponent’s hair does not automatically constitute a foul.
For a penalty to be given, the action had to be deemed deliberate. With Tarkowski also jumping for the ball, the incident did not meet the threshold for the video assistant referee to intervene.
Nevertheless, the visitors’ issues went beyond the disputed call. After Gboho’s opener, Coventry struggled to sustain their first-half level and could not handle Everton once Barry had equalised. Lampard’s side ultimately ran out of energy as the hosts took control.