Romelu-Lukaku-Everton
Picture the scene: An Irn Bru in hand, sun lounger claimed, factor 50 applied and a European view out in front. That was dreamland not so long ago for David Moyes and Everton. Now, they are working towards making it a reality with every passing week.
Though Moyes will be the first to claim that he'll only see a sun lounger when he's retired, he will have certainly earned it if he's taken the Toffees to new heights by the time it's all said and done.
After back-to-back victories over Newcastle United, Everton are into the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup, where they'll expect to defeat League Two side Fleetwood Town, and sit as high as seventh in the Premier League.
There's a long way to go, but there's no denying that those at the Hill Dickinson are on the right track, particularly with Thierno Barry leading the line.
How Thierno Barry is proving to be worth every penny
It felt as though Everton had wasted yet more money on a struggling forward last season. Barry arrived for as much as £27m just over 12 months ago and his first season featured more moments to forget than moments to savour, as Beto outperformed and outscored the new signing.
David Moyes and Thierno Barry
David Moyes and Thierno Barry
A year later, heads were once again in hands when Everton failed to sign Folarin Balogun and sold Beto, leaving Barry as Moyes' only option to lead the line. In the minds of many fans, it was the worst-case scenario.
As far as Barry was concerned, however, it was a dream scenario and he's been proving doubters wrong ever since. From a likely transfer flop, the Frenchman has become instantly underrated on Merseyside.
One year on from his struggles, only Erling Haaland has scored more than Barry's eight goals in all competitions out of Premier League players. In the midst of a disastrous strike situation, a new hero has been born at Everton.
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Most goals by Premier League players (all comps)
Erling Haaland (Man City)
Thierno Barry (Everton)
Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa)
Rayan Cherki (Man City)
Alexander Isak (Liverpool)
The Everton forward deserves plenty of credit for how he has turned life on Merseyside around, but he also has another player to thank, who has stolen the show in recent weeks.
£24m star is Everton's best signing since Lukaku
It wasn't so long ago that Everton were championing another impressive striker in Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian arrived from West Bromwich Albion and proved to be one of the best signings that the Toffees have ever made.
Everton-Lukaku
Action Images / Paul Burrows
By the time he swapped Goodison Park for Manchester United, Lukaku had scored 87 goals in 166 games. He was unstoppable on Merseyside, hence why it has been so difficult to find a replacement ever since.
Barry is beginning to do well in his own right, but that's not to say he's Everton's new talisman. Instead, it is £24m man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who has taken that role and become the club's best arrival since they welcomed Lukaku.
dewsbury-hall-everton-ipswich
Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
The former Chelsea man has European calibre and is arguably among the best in his position in the Premier League. Heralded as "excellent" by Wayne Rooney, Dewsbury-Hall may have been involved in three goals so far this season, but it's his leadership and work outside of the area which stand out most.
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Most chances created by midfielders in the PL 26/27
Pascal Gross (Brighton)
Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)
Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton)
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
James McAtee (Nottingham Forest)
It's easy to see why Rooney has been so full of praise for Dewsbury-Hall. He has been among the elite this season, creating more chances than Declan Rice and matching Bruno Fernandes every step of the way.
That should only be good news for Barry, who will continue to benefit in front of goal. Those two combined may well see Everton book the European tour that they've been desperate for.