An overview of how Everton's draw at Sunderland was covered in the national press
Thierno Barry shoots over during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton. Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Thierno Barry shoots over during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Everton. Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
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Everton left the Stadium of Light with a point but it could have been so much more had they made their early dominance count.
The brilliance of goalscorer Iliman Ndiaye and the disappointment of Thierno Barry’s close-range miss were placed in stark contrast in most of the summaries written of the game - many of which, like David Moyes, concluded the failure to double the visitors’ lead was the game’s major turning point.
After that, Sunderland dominated and equalised through Granit Xhaka before laying siege to the Everton box. This is what the national media made of the draw.
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The Times did not spare Barry, headlining their report on whether his was the “miss of the season”. While Martin Hardy concluded Sunderland should have beaten Everton, he acknowledged the away side’s early dominance, including after Ndiaye’s opener.
He wrote: “Everton were in the ascendancy then, with Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall particularly impressive. They should have extended their lead during that period.
“First, Grealish drilled a shot from 20 yards that clipped a post in the 22nd minute. He was central again soon after, floating a fine, inswinging cross from the left that evaded all of Sunderland’s defenders and fell to an unmarked Barry about three yards from goal. Somehow, the French striker ballooned his shot over the crossbar.”
In the Guardian, Miles Starforth placed Everton’s failure to add a second when they were on top down to bad luck. In the second half it was a different story, however, and he pointed to struggles at the back and up front for Moyes’ side: “Every Sunderland challenge was greeted with a roar as, time and again, the home side quickly won the ball back after losing possession. They kept on pressing for a second goal and one long throw from Mukiele caused panic.
“Everton struggled to break out of their half as Le Bris’s side attacked again and again. Dwight McNeil replaced Ndiaye during a sticky spell, but the ball just would not stick up front for them.”
Dominic King set his focus on the magic of Ndiaye in his report for the Mail. Of the 25-year-old’s goal, he said “it felt like he was being guided by joystick” as he danced past defenders.
He added: “Was it over the top to use Chris Waddle or Roberto Baggio as a reference point for Iliman Ndiaye? Could it be suggested his close control evoked images of Ryan Giggs or – whisper it very quietly – a couple of Argentine lads (you know their names) who used to play in Barcelona?
“Plenty will scoff but, occasionally, you go to a football match and see a skilful player do something quite magnificent, the kind of moment that makes fans leap from their seats and ask those next to them: 'My God, did you see that?!'”
He, like Moyes, highlighted Barry’s miss as a turning point. On the BBC, Emlyn Begley did so too, writing: “The Toffees were well on top, with Jack Grealish hitting the post, until Thierno Barry missed a sitter from three yards out in the 28th minute - and suddenly everything changed. Sunderland took control of the game. Xhaka scored their equaliser early in the second half with a deflected strike from 20 yards out after Enzo le Fee's effort was blocked. The Black Cats had the game's next 16 shots after that Barry miss - but could not find a winner.”
In the ECHO, the significance of Barry’s miss was not lost - but the thrust was that Everton’s current issues extend beyond a lack of ruthlessness from their strikers: “It is a draw that holds value for Everton. But it is hard to escape that Everton leave the north east with more questions than answers. What can you do if your strikers are not scoring? Why did their performance fall apart in such dramatic fashion? And what should supporters make of the summer signings?
“That last one feels most pertinent. For all that Grealish has shone and others have impressed in moments, Moyes’ use of his bench was a point of intrigue. When Ndiaye left the pitch with what it is hoped was just cramp, the call to replace him with Dwight McNeil felt stunning given how little he has played this season. This was another match in which Merlin Rohl and Tyler Dibling stayed on the bench. The away end had sung Carlos Alcaraz’s name for an age before he was asked to wrestle control of this match from Xhaka and co.”