David Moyes can take major Everton positive despite frustrating defeat vs Tottenham
Everton suffered a frustrating evening on Sunday as they were beaten 3-0 at home by Tottenham.
The Toffees turned in a spirited performance that saw them match their visitors every step of the way, but in the end, they were unable to avoid succumbing to a first defeat at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium home.
Jake O’Brien thought he had levelled for Everton midway through the first half, only for his header to be ruled out for offside, and that was the closest that the hosts got to finding the back of the net.
It was a game that will have left David Moyes frustrated to have come away with nothing, but he can at least take encouragement from the quality of this star’s cameo.
Thierno Barry shows promise for Everton in Tottenham defeat
Thierno Barry has found life difficult at Everton so far after he moved from Villarreal during the summer transfer window.
The Frenchman is yet to find the back of the net for his new club, and has often been in and out of the team as Moyes has continued to rotate him alongside Beto in recent weeks.
However, Barry showed signs of promise during his cameo role on Sunday evening, after he was introduced in the 66th minute amid another toothless display from Beto.
- Everton created an xG of 1.53 vs Tottenham but couldn’t get on the score sheet
- They had 53 per cent of the possession throughout the game but fashioned just two big chances
- Moyes’ men had 31 touches in the opposition box, compared to Spurs’ total of 17
The 23-year-old looked energetic and eager during his brief stint leading the line for the Merseysiders, and he looked a handful in the limited minutes that he received.
It was a positive showing from the frontman, who caused Spurs problems with his direct running, and that may well have been enough to convince Moyes that he is worth persisting with in the coming weeks.
Barry was always likely to need time to adapt to the English game, but it is slowly becoming clear that he possesses the raw attributes to be a significant threat in the Premier League if he can settle in a little more effectively.
It was a frustrating evening on the whole for Everton, but Barry’s display was a major positive for them to take into their next game.
Thierno Barry to start ahead of Beto vs Sunderland
Beto is firmly out of form for Everton of late, as he continues to display that he is very much a ‘purple patch’ striker.
The Guinea-Bissau international often takes several games to play his way into goalscoring form, and when you combine that with Barry’s energy in the Tottenham defeat, Moyes may well switch the two around next week.
The Toffees face a tricky assignment away at a Sunderland side who are flying high in the early-season league table, and the boss may be tempted to try and catch his opposite number off guard with a surprising team selection.
Barry is still something of an unknown quantity, given that English football is yet to see the best of him, and it could be the perfect time to throw him in at the deep end in the hope that he bursts into life.
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