Everton 3-1 Coventry: Barry's brace and an assist overturn Gboho's opener

Everton came from behind to beat Coventry 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday night, with striker Thierno Barry scoring twice in five minutes and then setting up midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for the third. Coventry's Yann Gboho put the visitors ahead in the 52nd minute, Barry headed in left-back Vitalii Mykolenko's cross in the 56th and bundled in winger Tyrique George's centre in the 61st, and Dewsbury-Hall sealed it in the 81st. It was Everton's third win in 10 days, after beating Newcastle in both the Carabao Cup and the league, and it came in Everton manager David Moyes' 592nd game in charge, which equals the club record set by Harry Catterick.

Coventry ahead, then Barry

Coventry edged the first half, and Everton's own match report said the hosts could count themselves fortunate not to be behind at the break. BBC Sport's commentary said Coventry deserved the lead when it came. Our data shows them with eight shots to Everton's four before the break. Gboho's goal was his first in English football, in only his second Premier League game since a £10.3m move from Toulouse. Everton hit back within four minutes with Barry's header, and just after the hour Barry forced in a second after Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth had saved his first effort. The third came when Barry spun in Coventry's half and threaded a pass down the left channel, and Dewsbury-Hall ran on and drove the ball past Rushworth at his near post. Dewsbury-Hall had missed out on the England squad announced earlier that day; Moyes had said on Thursday that he "certainly must be knocking on the door" for a first call-up.

Barry now has 10 goals in all competitions this season, two more than he managed in the whole of last season. Moyes had said on Thursday that Manchester City striker Erling Haaland "should be worried", and before Barry's second goal only Haaland (14) had scored more in all competitions than his nine among Premier League players, BBC Sport noted.

The VAR rows

Coventry left with several grievances. In the first half Everton captain James Tarkowski appeared to pull the hair of Coventry's Caleb Yirenkyi and no penalty or card followed; former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, said "it's certainly a penalty for me". After the restart VAR ruled that Mykolenko's contact with Coventry striker Taiwo Awoniyi was outside the area, so Coventry got neither a penalty nor a free-kick, and a claim for handball against Everton's Harrison Armstrong was waved away. Barry's second goal, which BBC Sport's commentary thought might be disallowed for handball, stood. The BBC said Coventry would have "a lot of grumbles" about three VAR decisions, and recalled that referees were told in the summer to weigh the force and intention behind a hair pull instead of sending a player off automatically.

What it changes

Everton have 16 points from 10 league games, which puts them fifth for now: level with fourth-placed Chelsea, who have the better goal difference (+4 to +2), and a point above Liverpool. The rest of the weekend can change that, with Sunderland v Chelsea and Crystal Palace v Liverpool both on Sunday. BBC Sport noted that in his 764th Premier League game as a manager it was only the second time Moyes had started three players under 21 (Tyler Dibling, George and Armstrong).

Coventry stay 16th on nine points after a seventh league defeat in 10 games, two ahead of Manchester United and Crystal Palace on seven, who both play on Sunday. It was their first Premier League defeat after scoring first since May 2001, BBC Sport said, and it came for manager Frank Lampard on his return to Everton, whom he managed between January 2022 and January 2023. Coventry host Crystal Palace next, then travel to Leeds and host Ipswich.