Thierno Barry’s late strike rescues Everton after leeds dominate early but fail to kill the game
Everton clung to a precious point on a tense night after Thierno Barry made Leeds United pay for a catalogue of missed chances, rescuing a 1–1 draw that reflected two sharply contrasting halves at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The equaliser marked another step in Barry’s transformation from misfiring newcomer to decisive presence. Signed for £27m in the summer, the French forward endured a barren start to his Premier League life, failing to score in his first 16 appearances. Now, he is delivering at pace. His fourth goal in five league games dragged Everton level after Leeds threatened to run away with the contest.
The visitors arrived under pressure, aware that weekend victories for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham had tightened the squeeze. From the opening exchanges, Leeds played like a side intent on escaping danger. Their movement was sharp, their passing crisp, and Everton were repeatedly pulled out of shape by a fluid midfield five.
The breakthrough came midway through the first half and felt inevitable. Leeds sliced Everton open down the right, exploiting hesitation and poor tracking. A low cross flashed through the six-yard box, evading defenders and rolling perfectly for James Justin arriving unmarked at the far post. He kept his composure and swept the ball past Jordan Pickford to give Leeds a deserved lead.
Moments later, Everton were spared a hammer blow. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, facing his former club, met a dangerous delivery from close range but saw his effort crash back off the post. It was the kind of miss that lingers. Leeds were dominant, confident, and wasteful, failing to turn superiority into security.
Everton, by contrast, looked blunt and passive before the break. David Moyes watched his side struggle to gain territory or test Karl Darlow, with Dwight McNeil and Harrison Armstrong offering little resistance. Change felt inevitable.
Moyes acted decisively at half-time. He reshaped his team and altered the formation, introducing Jarrad Branthwaite for his first appearance of an injury-hit season and bringing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall back into midfield. The effect was immediate. Everton played higher, pressed harder, and finally forced Leeds onto the back foot.
The momentum shift gathered pace. Barry signalled his intent with a clever, improvised effort that forced Darlow into a sharp save. It was Everton’s first real warning, and Leeds failed to heed it.
The equaliser arrived through persistence and precision. Dewsbury-Hall broke free down the left and slid a low ball into the near post. Barry anticipated it perfectly, darting ahead of his marker and flicking a superb finish into the roof of the net. Everton were level with only their second shot on target, and Leeds were left to rue earlier generosity.
The pattern flipped completely. Everton struck the woodwork moments later when Idrissa Gueye rattled the crossbar from distance, echoing Leeds’ earlier misfortune. The home side pressed for a winner, probing and pushing as Leeds clung on.
Late on, Everton almost completed the turnaround. Substitute Tyler Dibling found space in the box but chose to cross rather than shoot, allowing Leeds to scramble clear. It was the final twist in a match defined by missed opportunities at both ends.
Afterwards, Moyes praised Barry’s perseverance, pointing to the difficulty young strikers face adapting to the Premier League. Leeds boss Daniel Farke, meanwhile, reflected on a performance that should have delivered more. His side had dominated early, hit the post, and created enough to put the game to bed.
Instead, Leeds left with a point that felt hollow, while Everton escaped with belief renewed. In a relegation fight shaped by fine margins, waste and patience proved decisive.