Thierno Barry has matched his goal tally from last season in only 12 games this campaign, scoring eight times for Everton after finding the net eight times in 41 appearances during his debut season.
The 24-year-old scored against Newcastle on Monday, five days after also scoring against them. Everton secured a win at St James’ Park, while Barry continued a run of form that has made him central to the side’s attack. With Beto having moved to Fiorentina, Barry is Everton’s only recognised senior striker.
Only Erling Haaland, with 13 goals, has scored more than Barry’s eight among Premier League players in all competitions this season. Everton signed the French forward from Villarreal last summer for £27m.
Barry struggled early in his time at the club, managing just one shot across his first 16 Everton games. Last month, he shared a video of himself breaking down during a private training session last season. After scoring on Monday, he celebrated with a knee slide and dance moves.
“I was working a lot during the summer and now we can see the result,” Barry told Sky Sports. He said he was happy to help Everton with his goals and wanted to enjoy this season more than the last.
The goal came amid a dispute over the build-up. Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle told BBC Sport there had been “a clear foul on Fabian Schar”. Barry’s finish was a close-range tap-in, while he also missed an earlier chance after collecting Jarrad Branthwaite’s flick-on.
Before Monday’s match, Everton had created 24 big chances in the Premier League, with Barry involved in 15 of them, or 62.5%. Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher said Barry had missed chances but kept going and continued to score. Everton manager David Moyes also welcomed the striker’s goals, saying the team needed its centre-forward to find the net.
Sources: BBC Sport.