Thierno Barry Is Starting to Look Like Everton’s Real Deal Up Front

Everton kicked off their Premier League season with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, and the name on everyone's lips at Hill Dickinson Stadium was Thierno Barry. The 23-year-old Frenchman headed home to double the lead in the second half, walked off to a standing ovation, and looked every inch the striker Everton have been searching for. So is Barry finally ready to be the man David Moyes builds his attack around? We think the signs are pointing that way.

From Goal Drought to Game-Winner

Barry's first few months at Everton were rough. He arrived from Villarreal for £27m in the summer of 2024 after an 11-goal La Liga campaign, but Premier League life hit him hard. One goal in 18 appearances had supporters questioning the investment, and the patience around him was wearing thin by Christmas.

Then something clicked. Barry finished the season with eight goals in 38 Premier League appearances, which might not look spectacular on paper, but the context matters. Half of those goals came after Jack Grealish suffered a season-ending injury in January, stripping Barry of his best creative outlet. He still delivered. His xG across the campaign was 8.1, meaning he was converting almost exactly what the chances demanded. His shot conversion rate of 21.1% sat just below Erling Haaland's 21.4%. That is not a stat you throw around lightly.

The growth was real, and opening day against Palace suggested the momentum has carried into the new campaign.

What Moyes Still Wants From Him

Moyes was measured in his praise after the win, which tells you he's serious about pushing Barry further. The manager flagged a couple of things that still need work, particularly Barry's tendency to drift wide when he should be holding the line centrally, and his first touch letting him down when Everton try to break at speed.

Those are coachable problems. What you can't coach is the instinct to get to the right spot at the right time, and Barry showed that for the headed goal against Palace. Moyes hinted that Barry came back to pre-season with a renewed edge, something to prove after a debut campaign that probably fell short of his own expectations.

A striker who's hungry, improving, and already converting at elite rates is exactly the profile you want to be backing in the anytime scorer markets.

The Betting Angle on Barry This Season

From a betting perspective, Everton and Barry offer some genuine value heading into the season. He's not yet priced like a top-six striker, which means his odds in both anytime scorer and first goalscorer markets could represent decent value if he maintains anywhere near his late-season form from 2024-25.

Everton's setup under Moyes suits a physical, direct forward. When Iliman Ndiaye is delivering crosses from the left, Barry has a target to aim for. That combination produced the second goal on Saturday and it looks like a partnership Moyes will keep leaning on. If Grealish stays fit this time around, the creativity feeding Barry improves even further.

For accumulator builders, Barry at anytime scorer in home fixtures looks like a line worth monitoring regularly. Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium is a fortress they'll want to protect, and Barry's finishing numbers suggest he makes the most of his chances when they come.

Our Read on Everton's Season

Everton look like a side that could push for European football again, and Barry is central to that ambition. One game doesn't make a season, but the manner of the Palace win, controlled, composed and clinical when it mattered, felt like a statement from a club that has settled into its new home and its new identity.

Barry still has things to tighten up, Moyes will make sure of that. But a striker who converts at 21%, scores when games need deciding, and has the crowd on his side is an asset Everton have needed for a long time. We think he goes well past eight league goals this season, and we'd back him to be one of the better mid-range striker picks in your fantasy side and your betting slip.