Barry scores twice and makes a third as Everton come from behind

Stuart Attwell refereed in front of 52,395 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with a 20:00 UK kick-off. David Moyes picked a four-two-three-one: Pickford in goal behind Röhl, Tarkowski, Branthwaite and Mykolenko, Armstrong and Garner in front of them, and Dibling, Dewsbury-Hall and George supporting Barry. Frank Lampard's Coventry City used the same shape, with Rushworth behind van Ewijk, Mfuni, Pinnock and Dasilva, Yirenkyi and Torp in midfield, and Sakamoto, Rudoni and Gboho behind Awoniyi. Tarkowski and Pinnock wore the armbands.

The first half produced no goals. Gboho opened the scoring for Coventry City in the 52nd minute, and the lead held until the 56th, when Mykolenko set up Barry to equalise. In the 61st Barry scored his second and Everton were ahead.

Moyes made three changes in the 73rd minute, Hackney for Armstrong, B. Johnson for Dibling and O'Brien for Röhl, and Lampard replaced the goalscorer Gboho with Thomas-Asante. In the 81st Barry provided the assist for Dewsbury-Hall's goal. Lampard made three more changes in the 86th, Grimes for Torp, Hamer for Rudoni and Tchaouna for Sakamoto, and sent on Cherif for Awoniyi in the 87th. Branthwaite and Yirenkyi were booked in the 88th; Keane replaced Branthwaite in the 89th and Alcaraz came on for George in the 90th.

For long stretches of the statistics the sides were mirror images. Possession was 49.8 per cent to 50.2, shots 16 to 15, touches in the opposition box 30 to 29 and corners two each. Coventry City played 438 passes to Everton's 424. Possession split down the middle, the way a sensible couple splits a bill; Everton got more for their half. They put seven shots on target to four, built 2.25 expected goals to 1.40 and won 32 aerial duels to 18, with 21 crosses to 13. Coventry took seven of their 15 shots from outside the box, Everton three of their 16.

Before this game Everton's form guide listed wins over Newcastle United in the Premier League (our report) and the League Cup (report), a 2-2 draw with Hull City and defeats by Arsenal (report) and Chelsea. Coventry City's guide listed wins over Sunderland (report), Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest and defeats by Fulham (report) and Tottenham Hotspur. Barry was involved in all three Everton goals, two scored and one made, and that is the difference between a level game on the ball and a 3-1 on the scoreboard.

Three meetings are listed here: Everton won 3-1 away to Coventry City in a Premier League game on 20 January 2001, the clubs drew 2-2 in a friendly on 2 August 2009, and Coventry City won 3-0 in a friendly on 30 July 2024. That is one win each and a draw in the listed meetings.

In the Premier League table as it stood at 21:55 on 6 November, with this match included, Everton were fifth on 16 points from 10 games, level on points with Chelsea in fourth, who had played nine. Coventry City were 16th on nine points from 10 games, the same total as Fulham in 15th, who had played nine.