Members of the ECHO sportsdesk have their say on whether Beto or Thierno Barry should spearhead Everton's attack at Crystal Palace on Sunday
Everton strikers Thierno Barry and Beto
Everton strikers Thierno Barry and Beto
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After netting four goals from his previous three matches, Beto was recalled to spearhead Everton’s attack against Manchester City having missed the trip to West Ham United due to concussion suffered in the Merseyside derby.
However, with replacement Thierno Barry coming off the bench and bagging a brace against Pep Guardiola’s side, in the 3-3 draw at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night, who should get the nod to lead the line away to Crystal Palace on Sunday?
Members of the ECHO sportsdesk have their say...
Chris Beesley
Fair’s fair, Thierno Barry has just come off the bench for Everton and scored two goals against one of the world’s best teams in less than half an hour of football. Also, unlike his match-winner at Newcastle United when he previously found the net, the ball didn’t go into the net off his backside, and these were a couple of clinical finishes to beat the man mountain that is Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is probably the world’s best keeper... Iliman Ndiaye please take note.
Beto had been the man in form with four goals in three games before suffering concussion against Liverpool and missing the trip to West Ham United.
Barry hardly set the world alight in the 2-1 defeat at London Stadium, with his biggest contribution being the opponent who Matheus Fernandes wrapped his arms around before swatting the ball away with what appeared a blatant penalty to seemingly everybody apart from those making the decision.
However, he was perhaps unfortunate against the Irons given that he saw a goal-bound header cleared off the line by Tomas Soucek and all things being equal, his impressive cameo to put a dent in Pep Guardiola’s title aspirations should result in his recall back in the capital this weekend.
The respective fortunes of the Blues strikers who seem to have been taking part in a job share for most of this season have waxed and waned as the campaign has progressed, but after a tough few weeks following what happened both on and off the pitch at Arsenal, Barry now deserves another chance on merit.
Paul Wheelock
Lows and then highs, highs and then lows... to say Thierno Barry's first season at Everton has been a rollercoaster would be an understatement.
There were big question marks over the Premier League roolie after his poor miss at Sunderland but he won a lot of Evertonians over with his whole-hearted display against Fulham the following week and no-one could have been happier for him than when he broke his duck for the club shortly after.
That expertly-taken strike against Nottingham Forest kick-started a run of five goals in nine Premier League appearances and while a sequence of four games without scoring followed, his winner at Newcastle United underlined the progress he was making.
Then came the events of Arsenal, which it's fair to say, judging by the smattering of boos that have accompanied his introduction in home matches since, hasn't been forgotten by some Blues.
But the bigger gripe among supporters was Barry's disappointing showing in the devastating defeat to Liverpool. It is, of course, hard to pick up the pace of a game as a substitute, especially in a Merseyside derby, but the young striker did not silence any of his doubters with his display off the bench that afternoon.
But then came Monday night. This time, there was no questioning his work-rate and, as he has shown throughout his debut campaign on Merseyside, Barry is an adept finisher, and it would now appear his season-long battle with Beto has tilted back in his favour.
To give Beto his due, he is still the forward in better form, with five goals in his last seven appearances.
But does coming off the bench against Manchester City and scoring twice to spark the best Hill Dickinson Stadium atmosphere yet warrant a recall to the starting line-up?
I'd say it does.
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