Dominic Calvert-Lewin denied dream homecoming as Everton and Leeds share spoils | OneFootball

For Everton, it was at least a night when they need not rue letting the most prolific Englishman in the Premier League this season leave on a free transfer. Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit the post in his first reunion with his old club. But Thierno Barry, the striker Everton signed to replace him, scored, a second terrific goal in as many weeks sparing them defeat.

While there were a few boos for Calvert-Lewin, Barry’s name rang around Hill Dickinson Stadium. He and his fellow forward Beto have been the butt of many a joke, a seemingly goal-shy pair forever being swapped for each other. But Barry now has four goals in his last five league outings. After failing to score with any of his first 15 shots in the Premier League, he has found the net with five of the last 10. And if, like Everton, he was utterly ineffectual before the break, he was much better after it.

A game of two halves was shaped by two managers. The first 45 minutes amounted to a tactical triumph for Daniel Farke. Yet David Moyes changed the match with his response. He copied Farke’s back three, took a team with a meagre first-half xG of 0.14 and no shots on target for the first hour and gave them a threat.

Some of it came in the unlikely form of Idrissa Gana Gueye. A defensive midfielder by trade, an Afcon winner last week became an attacking weapon. The Senegalese set up Barry’s equaliser. Then he rattled the bar from 20 yards. If Gueye owed Everton, given that he had only played once for them since his ridiculous red card for slapping teammate Michael Keane at Old Trafford in November, he repaid a debt.

Barry is starting to show signs of repaying his £27m fee, too. There was delicacy in a shot with the outside of his right foot that Karl Darlow saved, precision and confidence in his finish, lifted over the goalkeeper, from Gueye’s low cross to the near post. “There's a little bit of textbook centre-forward [play],” said Moyes. “He got across the defender and put it away well. It was a really good run.”

After Barry’s dink over Emi Martinez clinched Everton’s best win of the season, victory at Aston Villa, it was another sign he is settling. “I am really pleased for Thierno,” added Moyes. “If you're a centre forward, you need to score goals and he hadn't at the start. There are a lot of strikers in the Premier League that cost a lot of money and it has not been easy for them either.”

Barry is near the start of his career, Moyes approaching the end of his. The 62-year-old displayed his own prowess in a radical reshuffle at the break. Off came Dwight McNeil, who left James Justin unmarked for Leeds’ goal, and Harrison Armstrong. On came Jarrad Branthwaite for a belated first appearance of the season, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for a first of 2026. "My plan was not to use Jarrad as early or Kiernan," said Moyes. But his squad had been stretched. As he now has more options, even minus Jack Grealish, he used his bench well.

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Thierno Barry appears to be finding the form for Everton to justify his price tag (Getty Images)

Yet Everton started badly. “We were really poor in the first half,” said Moyes. “I can’t put my finger on why.” Then it seemed Everton had little answer to Farke’s gameplan. The German has prospered with an emphasis on solidity but the teamsheet might have been deceptive. Farke fielded five defenders and two defensive midfielders; yet that permitted the wing-backs to roam ahead of them, to great effect.

His left wing-back scored a goal. His right wing-back almost got an assist. Justin finished after Anton Stach delivered a low cross that went through Calvert-Lewin’s legs and fell obligingly for the former Leicester defender. Then Calvert-Lewin struck the post from Jayden Bogle’s enticing cross. “Dominic probably should have scored,” sighed Farke.

The scorer of one of the most important goals in Everton’s history – the 2022 winner against Crystal Palace that kept them up, averted relegation, and perhaps administration, and enabled them to finance the construction of Hill Dickinson Stadium – had also been denied by his former teammate Jordan Pickford.

But injuries were a reason why Everton did not match his salary demands. There are times when Everton have missed him this season. Their goals have been too infrequent – only Sunderland in the top 14 have fewer – and home wins too elusive; the Hill Dickinson is a deluxe destination but no fortress as the last five visitors have exited undefeated.

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Pickford denied Calvert-Lewin as the sides battled to a draw (Getty Images)

Yet Leeds could go back across the Pennines with regrets. “Slightly disappointed we didn’t win all three points,” said Farke. It would have capped a stunning turnaround. After 11 points in their first 13 league games, Leeds have 15 in 10.

Yet they have only climbed two places in the process and, over the weekend, saw West Ham and Nottingham Forest close the gap to them. “We can’t influence what happened elsewhere,” added Farke. “It is a long road of 38 games but you don’t always have gamedays that go in your favour.”

And this did not. Leeds are up to 26 points: enough to keep a team up last season, but nowhere near enough this year. They still have much to do but Farke insisted: “This group has again proven we have enough to win enough points to stay in the league.”