Barry's brace fires Everton into top five as only Haaland outscores him

Thierno Barry scored twice and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added a third as Everton came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1, climbing into the Premier League’s top five in the process. The victory, Everton’s third in succession, was sealed at Goodison Park with Barry’s double cancelling out Yann Gboho’s opener for the visitors.

Gboho had given Coventry a surprise lead on his second league appearance for the club, but Barry levelled with a header before scrambling in a second from barely two yards out after the restart. Dewsbury-Hall then wrapped up the points nine minutes from time, his goal from midfield adding to an increasingly influential all-round contribution.

Barry, 24, has now scored in three consecutive matches for Everton for the first time in his career — only the second time across his career as a whole. He has six goals in his last seven games across all competitions and 10 for the season, two more than he managed in his entire debut campaign. Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, with nine Premier League goals, has scored more in the division this term.

The Frenchman’s performance was not without its rough edges. In the first half he wasted a clear shooting opportunity by failing to sort his feet out, a moment that typified the unpolished quality that can frustrate. But his effectiveness inside the six-yard box after the interval underlined why manager David Moyes, who equalled Harry Catterick’s club record of 592 matches in charge on the day, had declared before kick-off that “Erling Haaland should be worried”.

Coventry manager Frank Lampard, returning to Goodison Park against his former club, will feel aggrieved that his side were not awarded at least one penalty. James Tarkowski appeared to pull Caleb Yirenkyi’s hair while the game was goalless in the first half, though the incident went unpunished. Coventry’s defensive work also left much to be desired as the contest wore on.

The win also briefly shifted attention away from the Jack Grealish situation. The winger has been absent for four matches after being disciplined for missing training, but he returned to Everton’s Finch Farm training ground earlier on Saturday to begin a tailored programme. He is expected to rejoin the first-team fold after the international break.