Everton v Ipswich Town - Premier League 2026/27
Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images
Thierno Barry’s second season at Everton looks like a massive improvement on his first, scoring three goals already. He is also ranked as the best in the league among strikers for one useful quality that David Moyes is failing to get the best of.
Everton finally have a striker worth his salt in the Premier League, with Thierno Barry scoring three in six this season in the league (six in eight all competitions), and there are a lot of reasons to believe that he is the real deal. Despite this, Barry still divides opinion among Evertonians, although the general verdict on him is quickly becoming positive.
Barry could have scored way more, rivalling Erling Haaland for expected goals this season, which demonstrates how many chances Everton are creating for him right now. But beyond the goals, Barry has an incredible quality that he leads the league with.
What’s your honest position on Thierno Barry at the moment? 10 big chances missed in the PL, but six goals across all competitions. It's fair to say he divides opinion at Everton, but Dewsbury-Hall is a fan…👀
Credit: Getty Images/James Gill – Danehouse/Gary Oakley – Everton FC/Everton FC
Thierno Barry is the quickest striker in the league right now
Standing at 6ft 5in, Barry is a huge aerial threat and is in the 91st percentile among strikers in the Premier League for aerial duels won. Against Hull alone, Barry won 10 aerial duels, which shows just how impossible to stop he is.
But for someone so tall, Barry is also blessed with pace and offers so much speed up front.
According to FotMob, Barry has been the fastest number nine in the Premier League so far this season, through six games. He is clocked in at 35.5 km/h, with Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia the closest striker to him at 35.3 km/h.
To put Barry’s pace as the fastest striker into perspective, only two players in the entire Premier League have been quicker than him this season.
1 – Bradley Barcola: 35.9 km/h
2 – Antoine Semenyo: 35.7 km/h
3 – Oscar Bobb: 35.5 km/h
3 – Thierno Barry: 35.5 km/h
5 – Bryan Mbeumo: 35.4 km/h
Barry’s speed is a threat that could trouble any back-line, and Everton should be using it more, but to this point haven’t been.
Everton should use Barry’s in-behind threat more often
Barry has had a brilliant season so far in an Everton kit, but with his speed being unmatched by any other striker in the Premier League right now, David Moyes should be looking to use this quality more.
Everton needs to be quicker to get the ball to Barry, break with speed, and set him loose in behind with his 35 km/h pace, which very few defenders will keep up with in the Premier League.
A lot of Barry’s success and chances have come in the box from crosses or getting the ball under pressure, but if Everton can use his speed in behind, then it would be another avenue for the Frenchman to notch up goals and make this season his breakout in the Premier League.
Barry is set for a strong double-figure goal season, currently a 19-goal Premier League return if he can continue his 0.5 goal per game rate in the league, and Everton needs to just figure out how to use his pace in the same way his power is being deployed.
He could become unstoppable.