Thierno Barry shows his prowess again as Everton storm into Premier League’s top five

Everton climbed into the top five after coming from behind to claim a 3-1 win over Coventry, powered by more goals from Thierno Barry.

The 24-year-old’s double flipped the contest against former Toffees manager Frank Lampard’s side. Only Manchester City forward Erling Haaland, with nine, has registered more league goals this season.

Barry’s unpolished moments can create frustration, demonstrated in the first half when he wasted a clear shooting opening by failing to sort his feet out, but he proved effective inside the six-yard box after the restart.

Having fallen behind to Yann Gboho’s first goal for the Sky Blues on his second league appearance, the Frenchman scored a header to equalise before adding a second by scrambling the ball in from barely two yards.

Lampard will feel his team should have received at least one penalty after James Tarkowski appeared to pull Caleb Yirenkyi’s hair while the game was goalless in the first half, though Coventry’s defensive work left much to be desired.

It is the first time Barry has scored in three straight matches for Everton, and only the second time in his career.

He has now scored six in his last seven games across all competitions and 10 for the season, two more than he recorded during his inaugural campaign.

His display aligned with pre-match remarks from boss David Moyes, who equalled Harry Catterick’s record of 592 matches in charge, having stated that “Erling Haaland should be worried”.

And while realistically the Norway international will not be losing any sleep at the thought, Barry’s form as the club’s only recognised striker is proving a major boost.

With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall chipping in with goals from midfield, scoring the third nine minutes from time, to add to his all-round creativity Moyes is squeezing everything out of his limited resources.

A third successive win also took the focus off the circus surrounding Jack Grealish.

He has been absent for the last four matches after being disciplined by the club for missing training, but he returned to Finch Farm earlier in the day to begin a tailored programme which is likely to see him return to the first-team fold after the international break.

A nondescript first half which began with Everton in the ascendency finished with the visitors in command and was notable mainly for Tarkowski’s tangle with Yirenkyi as they challenged for a cross.

His grasp of the midfielder’s hair was so slight it appeared to go unnoticed by everyone except the player and no action was taken by VAR.

Coventry’s second penalty appeal was checked by the officials but Vitalii Mykolenko’s challenge on Taiwo Awoniyi was ruled to have been made fractionally outside the box.

But when the ball bounced around the area after the visitors were able to play their way from right to left Gboho, surrounded by three Everton players, poked through a shot which appeared to take Pickford by surprise as it crept over the line.

The lead lasted four minutes as Barry barely had to get off the ground to head home Mykolenko’s cross after Jay Dasilva crumpled to the floor.

Within five minutes they were ahead as he again outjumped Dasilva at the far post to bundle home off his midriff with a panicked goalkeeper Carl Rushworth unable to keep it out.

Dewsbury-Hall made the result safe with a fine angled finish to displace Merseyside neighbours Liverpool in fifth place.