The Everton talking points following their 2-2 Premier League draw with Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Sunday
HULL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: Thierno Barry of Everton celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Everton at MKM Stadium on October 11, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Thierno Barry celebrates after putting Everton in front at Hull City(Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall neatly summed up why Everton see Thierno Barry as a player worth persevering with after he endured an afternoon of mixed fortunes in the 2-2 draw at Hull City.
Evertonians would have been cursing the centre-forward after he missed a hat-trick of chances at the MKM Stadium with the last of those opportunities being gilt-edged.
But moments later they were hailing Barry after he showed the composure he had been lacking up to that point by slotting in a fine finish past Konstantinos Tzolakis to put the Blues in front.
His goal didn't prove to be the winner as Hull benefitted from further poor defending to earn a share of the spoils and continue their own impressive start to the campaign.
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But Barry still received praise, after more tough love, from Dewsbury-Hall, who had set up the striker to score after earlier bringing Everton level. The midfielder, speaking to Sky Sports after the draw, said: "I really like his mentality. He’s one of the most hardest-working players I've played with. He's always working trying to improve.
"We have a love-hate relationship because I expect so much of him and sometimes I probably annoy him. But he’s come back and he's got really hungry and he’s improving every game.
"I like the fact he said he should have scored three. He’s scored today, he's helped us get a point, but I know for a fact he'll continue to work, and I'm going to keep wanting more for him only because I like him and I want the best for him and I want him to continue to score."
Barry now has six goals for the season with three of those coming in the Premier League. But no player in the top flight has more missed big chances than the Frenchman, whose tally of 10 is double the amount of the five players below him with five. That needs to improve.
But he wasn't the only player who should have done better in front of goal for the Blues, who had eight big chances compared to the Tigers' two. And the big positive for Barry is that he keeps getting the opportunities. It'd be a bigger worry if he wasn't.
But with more work on the training ground to sharpen up his finishing - and no doubt more constructive criticism from Dewsbury-Hall - then the 23-year-old has the chance to really kick on, and in turn keep Everton, despite everything that is going on off the field at Hill Dickinson Stadium, very much in the hunt for European football.
Uncharacteristic defending
Whatever Ainsley Maitland-Niles does in his Blues career, he will always have that incredible last-gasp equaliser against Manchester United. That match-saving strike led to the £4m transfer deadline day signing stepping into David Moyes' starting line-up and he helped the team to three clean sheets in the three matches that followed.
But Maitland-Niles had a testing afternoon on Humberside as he was largely at fault for the two goals Everton conceded. However, he was not completely at fault.
Jarrad Branthwaite did not cover himself in glory for both goals either, while for the latter his England team-mates James Garner and Jordan Pickford may also feel they could have more to keep Mohamed Belloumi's effort out of the net.
In their defence, the Blues were not helped by the loss of Vitalii Mykolenko to an injury that required Branthwaite to shift from centre-back to left-back.
While appearing to be dogged by a knock he did everything to shrug off, Branthwaite struggled in the position at times and equally, he was missed from the centre of the defence.
HULL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: Hull City's Joe Gelhardt shoots for goal under pressure from Everton's James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Everton at MKM Stadium on October 11, 2026 in Hull, United Kingdom. (Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Hull City's Joe Gelhardt shoots for goal under pressure from Everton's James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite during the Premier League match at MKM Stadium on October 11, 2026(Image: Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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James Tarkowski was excellent in the first half and Michael Keane, who came in for Mykolenko, was solid enough, but there is no getting away from the fact that Everton are a better side with Branthwaite at the heart of their backline. Three clean sheets in the previous six Premier League outings are a testament to that.
Moyes' hands have been tied by the shambolic end to the transfer window that has left him just one senior left-back - along with one recognised right-back and striker - and that has been followed by The Friedkin Group putting the club up for sale less than two years after buying it.
But for free-scoring Chelsea's visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium next weekend, Branthwaite needs to be back alongside Tarkowski even if Mykolenko is ruled out again.
Reasons to be positive
Moyes made it clear after the game that he wasn't happy with the performance. But when the dust settles, the Blues boss may see it as a point gained.
It was a point that extended his side's unbeaten start to the campaign in all competitions to eight matches and ensured they finished the weekend sitting fifth in the Premier League table.
Hull are no mugs either. Dewsbury-Hall's deft header was the first goal they have conceded at home this season and, as they have proven in every outing since their promotion to the top flight, they are certainly not here to make up the numbers.
Credit to the Everton players who endured difficult games, too. Maitland-Niles bounced back from his mistake for Joe Gelhardt's opener to set up the equaliser for Dewsbury-Hall, who was back to his best after a slight drop in his own high standards before the international break. And then there was Barry, who kept going and eventually got his reward.
This is a Blues team, led by Moyes, whose demeanour in his pre-match press conference on Friday was exactly what the fan base needed, that is committed and fighting for the badge after the tough hand they were dealt following the closure of the transfer window.
That spirit, matched with a set of supporters who are at their very best when the chips are down, gives reason to be positive despite the fact the club is set to enter yet another period of uncertainty.
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