Everton

Are Everton getting enough credit?

The team on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club have questioned if the Toffees have flown under the radar this season given they now sit sixth in the Premier League.

Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Joe Hart focused on manager David Moyes and said: "He is an excellent manager in our league, a real safe pair of hands. He is exactly how he is advertised and has been his whole career. That is a high-quality Premier League manager who understands how important it is to stay in games and capitalise when you get those moments."

Host Mark Chapman questioned if the media give Everton enough credit.

The Observer's Rory Smith listed all of the issues the Toffees have faces this season, from missed transfers to ownership uncertainty.

Smith said: "When Everton do go on these runs, we do tend to assume it will be short lived or they'll fall away or something. Given everything they have dealt with, the players deserve credit but Moyes is the talisman for it.

"There has been a real negativity around Everton at the same time that results on the pitch have been genuinely astonishing. Their season has been remarkable."

Take in a clip below or listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Is "confidence" ultimately what's underlining Thierno Barry's fine form?

The team on BBC Radio Merseyside have been debating who the striker's biggest fan is as a result of his upturn in fortunes.

Some experts think the new fan-favourite even has plenty of room to deliver more for the Toffees.

Listen to the podcast in full by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here

Everton are among several European clubs interested in signing Flamengo's 26-year-old Brazil winger Samuel Lino. (4-4-2), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite says going a goal behind to Coventry City made them "kick on and play better".

Yann Gboho had given the Sky Blues a second-half lead but it was short-lived as Thierno Barry scored twice in five minutes to turn the game.

"We got our heads down and went for it," said Branthwaite to BBC Radio Merseyside. "In the first-half we had a 10-15 minute spell where we were like that, but couldn't sustain it.

"So it did take us to go a goal behind to kick us into gear. You could see then that we can create chances and that's what we need to do from the first whistle."

Press play above to hear Branthwaite's full interview, or listen here on BBC Sounds.

Tom Gayle
Match of the Day commentator at Hill Dickinson

Image source, Getty Images

The international break will provide David Moyes with a welcome break from answering questions about the absent Jack Grealish. Everton have a slim squad, so there is no doubt a player of Grealish's talent being available would be beneficial.

The reality is, so far on the pitch, the 31-year-old hasn't been missed. Tyrique George has started the last four games, and delivered a consistent level of performances which lay a firm claim to a regular place on the left.

Friday night's victory over Coventry saw the England Under-21 international put in a textbook evening of wing play. George was hugging the touchline, repeatedly driving at Milan van Ewijk and combining his speed with an array of footwork and body swerving tricks. He was also either instigating the counter-attack, or playing a crucial role within them, thanks to his sharp and precise passing and link up with team-mates.

In an era where forward players are judged by their goal involvement statistics, he'll be annoyed not to have been credited with the assist for Thierno Barry's second goal. Perhaps more important to the Everton fans though, despite his apparent lightweight stature, George is strong in his duels and clearly up for the physicality of the Premier League.

Tongue firmly in cheek, I quipped as the 20-year-old was substituted, "Jack who?."

Everton, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham have all been in contact with the representatives of former Barcelona forward Vitor Roque, 21, with the Brazil international valued at £42m by Palmeiras. (Bolavip via Teamtalk), external

Everton are ahead of Sunderland and Coventry City in the race to sign 19-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder Abdoulaye Doumbia from Swedish side BK Hacken. (Football Insider), external

The Toffees are admirers of Kelvin Yeboah - the son of ex-Leeds United striker Tony - and are interested in completing a deal in January for the former Italy Under-21 forward, who has scored 18 goals in 32 games this season for MLS side Minnesota United. (The Hard Tackle), external

But Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town are ready to rival Everton in their pursuit of Yeboah, 26. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Everton and Coventry.

Here are some of your comments:

Everton fans

Jack: Pretty good performance all round. Dewsbury Hall gave Tuchel something to think about, Barry just gets better with every game. There was a period in the first half when we lost control of the game and they should have punished us. I thought both "penalty" decisions were correct, although I can understand why Lampard disagreed, especially the Tarkowski one. In the top six or seven going into the international break, a thumbs up.

Fraz: Everton looked good again, we seem to want to attack more and have a desire to win. Disappointing to see another hair-pulling incident. If players followed the rules properly and had their hair secured like it should, the pull doesn't happen. He's trying to place his hand on his back and get a bit of shirt.

Tony: Great result that Coventry made us work for. Also very pleased for the hard-working Barry and for Moyes equalling most games as Everton manager. If you'd have said in August where we'd be now in November, in both league and cup, you'd have taken it with big doubt. Hope we can maintain and build on what we've done so far this season.

Dusty: Controversy aside, that was a solid performance from the whole team. Coventry deserved their goal but Everton were just too good on the night. Big mention for Barry, who has pleasantly surprised me and taken the lone striker responsibility with gusto.

Coventry fans

Marek: You just cannot ask for more. Coventry players working hard together. Another few weeks and we will be tucking the wins under our belt.

Clive: If Barry was the scorer, then this confirms that his hand ushered the ball past Rushworth. It was a movement towards the ball, and the ball changed direction. The two penalty claims were solid, but neither was treated with any seriousness by the VAR official. Likewise, the point where and Everton player placed his hand on the ball as if to take a free kick, but the referee had already signalled "play on"... inconsequential, but nevertheless one the referee let go on that moment. It was a cracking game, and a 2-2 draw might have been a fairer result. The stats show how well Coventry competed.

Jackie: You have to question VAR here, especially the second goal, definitely a handball! Coventry played well, heads held high and we go again after the break, PUSB!

Bud: Competed throughout against a team chasing Europe, three horrific refereeing decisions killed it for us, then poor game management with lack of subs. Not angry at the performance and could've been so much different.

Keifer MacDonald
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

It was not just Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who caught the eye against Coventry, with Thierno Barry scoring twice in the space of five minutes at the start of the second half to help Everton come from behind.

By taking his tally for the season into double figures across all competitions, the 24-year-old - who struggled for both form and confidence after joining the Blues from Spanish side Villarreal last summer - has already surpassed the eight goals he scored last season.

Not only is the French forward lighting up Hill Dickinson Stadium with his goals, he is also setting the place alight with his dance moves.

Barry has made a habit of celebrating every goal with some kind of viral dance move - and that was certainly the case on Friday night.

"I was on TikTok yesterday and I saw an NFL guy do the celebration. I said to Tyrique [George] that if we scored tomorrow, we would do the dance like that, but I think he was shy to do it, so I did the dance alone," Barry told Match of the Day.

The former Basel and Villarreal frontman is also drawing inspiration from Erling Haaland as he looks to maintain his impressive goalscoring form.

The Manchester City forward is the only Premier League player with more goals (14) in all competitions than the 10 Barry has managed this campaign for David Moyes' side.

"I'm very happy because I'm a fan of him," said Barry. "I watch a lot of videos of him and try and do the things he does. If I can play with him until the end to get the Golden Boot, I will try."

Read more here

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Everton's performance

What did you make of Coventry City's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Saturday for a selection of your replies.

Everton boss David Moyes, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I wasn't quite so sure about a good performance. We got a performance, and we got a result, but I have to say Coventry made it really difficult for us.

"You can see why they have picked up some really good results. They won at Forest and beat Sunderland the other week. They had a couple of decisions that might have gone in their favour and against us tonight.

"It was good, but in the end, we got the goals which mattered and when you win in the Premier League you take it because it is so hard to get the wins."

"We gave away a really poor goal but the reaction from there was really good. Important that Thierno Barry got another couple of goals tonight, which was huge for us.

"He can smile at me now and say I told you so and that's good. We always liked him, and we want him to keep scoring. He's missed quite a few chances, but tonight he got important goals for us.

"He's becoming an important piece for us, and he's got 10 goals for us, which is really good."

On the James Tarkowski hair pull and Thierno Barry's second goal being potential handball: "I've seen the goal, I didn't think it hit his hand. I've certainly not seen the hair pull, that's for sure.

"I think a hair pull nowadays only gets you a booking, doesn't it? I need to see if it was a hair pull in the first place, because I've not seen that myself and I didn't even know about it, but I will get a look at it and see."

On Jack Grealish and when Everton fans may see him again: "There's no more detail at the moment."

Everton striker Thierno Barry, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It's always a pleasure to score and for my team to win, so I'm very happy. I just worked a lot during this summer so we can see the results, so I'm happy, and I need to continue like this to help my team win every game.

"To be fair, sometimes it is difficult when you miss a lot of chances. Your mind is sometimes bad, but I always work to do my best.

On playing at Hill Dickinson: "It's always a pleasure to play at home. The fans here are incredible. They sing from the first minute until the end. It is a real pleasure to score here and to play here."

On only Erling Haaland scoring more goals than him in all competitions: "I'm very happy because I'm a fan of him. I watch a lot of videos of him and try and do the things he does. If I can play with him until the end to get the Golden Boot, I will try."

On his dance celebration: "I was on TikTok yesterday and I saw an NFL guy do the celebration and I said to Tyrique [George] if we score tomorrow, we do the dance like that, but I think he was shy to do it, so I did the dance alone."

Did you know?

• The result was just the third time Everton had gone 1-0 down in the second half of a Premier League game then come back to win by more than one goal, along with 3-1 wins over West Ham in November 2008 and Burnley in September 2021.

• Among Premier League players, only Erling Haaland (14) has more goals in all competitions this season than Thierno Barry (10), with the Everton forward now scoring more goals in 13 games this season than he managed in 41 games last season (eight).

Listen to more match reaction from Moyes on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

What a season Thierno Barry is having already.

After scoring just eight goals last term, following a £27m move from Villarreal the 24-year-old has already eclipsed that.

He has 10 goals in 13 appearances after these two goals against Coventry, having taken 16 games to get his first Everton goal in 2025-26.

The striker is now the Premier League's second top scorer, level with Liverpool's Aleksander Isak on six - three being Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

There may have been some fortune in his second-half winner as it was bundled in but Barry is making his own luck and is in the form of his Everton career.

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Everton will attempt to win back-to-back Premier League games against improving Coventry City in a first meeting between the clubs in 25 years.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into their meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton will attempt to win a third game in the space of just 10 days when they host former Toffees boss Frank Lampard and his Coventry side on Friday.

The two victories over the past week – against Newcastle United in both the Carabao Cup and Premier League – have been achieved without Jack Grealish, who has been suspended by the club following a breach of indiscipline reportedly linked to a missed training session.

Manager David Moyes confirmed on Thursday that Grealish will again miss out at Hill Dickinson Stadium and in his absence other Everton players have stepped to the fore.

Striker Thierno Barry scored in both wins against Newcastle to take his tally for this season to eight, already matching his total from 2025-26 despite playing 29 fewer matches.

Winger Tyrique George, 20, provided the winning assist on Monday at St James' Park, where 19-year-old midfielder Harrison Armstrong was again an influential performer.

The club's younger players have been growing in influence this season and while Moyes' hand has been partly forced by player departures resulting in a small playing squad, the average age of Everton's starting XI has been the youngest of the Scot's managerial career.

Everton's youth have been ably supported by an experienced core in recent weeks, with midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall back close to his best.

The 28-year-old has created 21 chances in the Premier League this season, more than double the tally of any other Everton player.

Barry, George and Dewsbury-Hall will all likely be needed if Everton are to continue their winning run against a Coventry side improving steadily in recent weeks.

The Sky Blues failed to score as they lost their opening four matches on their return to the Premier League but they have since won three of the past five, including a 3-1 victory over Sunderland last time out.

Lampard's side have been far more clinical in front of goal in those five matches, scoring nine times from an expected goals tally of just 4.12.

It is the biggest overperformance of xG by any Premier League team over the five-game period.

Everton and Coventry have not faced each other since 2001 but Lampard is likely to get a warm reception on Merseyside having steered the Toffees away from the threat of relegation in 2021-22 with a win in their penultimate match of that campaign against Crystal Palace.

In the opposition dugout, Moyes will celebrate equalling Harry Catterick's club record of 592 games at the helm in a first appearance against Coventry – the 45th side he has faced in his Premier League career.

Image source, Getty Images

England boss Thomas Tuchel explained why Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was left out of the England squad.

Speaking at his press conference after the squad was announced, he said: "He is close. A very good player, a very good season. In the way we play now, I don't see him in central midfield - more as an eight or a 10, in the finishing part of the game.

"The competition is very, very high in our squad in this position.

"As you know, he was in our squad of 55 [for the World Cup]. You can see his quality and he was very close."

When Everton take on Coventry later on Friday, David Moyes will equal Harry Catterick's record for games as Toffees manager.

The pair will sit on 592, with Howard Kendall third on 542.

Everton fan James Costello says 20 goals is an achievable target for Thierno Barry this season.

The striker has already matched last season's goal tally of eight after just 12 games.

Costello told BBC Radio Merseyside: "He has been getting in better areas. He has improved his technique and everything. He just needs to convert more of these chances.

"My nan would've scored the goal on Monday! But still, he's getting in the right areas. That's what he lacked last season and what he has improved on magnificently this season. Long may it continue.

"I definitely think 20 goals is realistic, especially now we're in the quarter-finals of the League Cup and we've still got the FA Cup to come. We're not even a third of the way through the Premier League season so 20 goals is definitely achievable."

Click play above to hear the chat in full or listen on BBC Sounds here

Image source, Getty Images

England manager Thomas Tuchel has named his squad for November's matches against Croatia and Spain.

Key talking points include no Cole Palmer again, no Phil Foden, no Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and a return for Ben White, while Fulham's Josh King is included.

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Leeds United), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

Defenders: Ezri Konsa (Arsenal), Marc Guehi (Man City), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Jarrell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Inter Milan), Ben White (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Josh King (Fulham), James Garner (Everton), Elliot Anderson (Man City), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Declan Rice (Arsenal).

Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United), Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (Chelsea).

Get more reaction on the squad

Like all the promoted teams, Coventry are having a go in games.

It has worked too, because they have picked up a few wins so far - they have three in the Premier League, as many as sixth-place Brentford.

It has been a strange season for the Sky Blues so far, because their performances have been a bit up and down. They can look very open, but those wins are the reward for their brave approach.

I don't see them getting anything here, however, on Frank Lampard's return to his former club.

Everton are not a free-scoring side, but I think they will have a bit too much nous for Coventry.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here