CLUB SNAPSHOT: At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Club | Everton FC |
| League | Premier League |
| Manager | David Moyes |
| Stadium | Hill Dickinson Stadium |
| Nickname | The Toffees |
| Founded | 1878 |
| First-Choice Striker | Thierno Barry |
| Supporting Forward | Iliman Ndiaye |
| Academy Prospect | Braiden Graham |
| Notable Departure | Iliman Ndiaye (to Manchester City) |
The Defining Moment
Everton’s 2026/27 season has been defined by a gamble that David Moyes did not want to take. When the summer transfer window closed, the Toffees had failed to sign a senior striker to compete with or cover Thierno Barry. The move for Folarin Balogun collapsed. The club explored the free-agent market without success. Moyes was left with a 23-year-old Frenchman—in only his second season in English football—as his sole recognised centre-forward.
The defining moment of Everton’s forward line came not in a moment of brilliance, but in a statistic that initially looked like a crisis. Barry was leading the Premier League in big chances missed, with 10—double the tally of Erling Haaland in second place. On the surface, it was a damning indictment of a young striker’s finishing. Beneath the surface, it was evidence of something far more important: Barry was getting into the right positions, repeatedly, in a team that does not create many chances.
Moyes chose to see it as a positive. “Some centre-forwards might see that as getting in the right place at the right time and getting those opportunities,” he said. “I’d like him to score more and be cleaner when he has to be, but I’m pleased with the way he’s moving forward.”
That perspective has been vindicated. Barry has scored consistently, Iliman Ndiaye has contributed from wide areas, and Everton have confounded expectations to sit in the top half of the table. But the lack of depth behind Barry remains the most fragile thread in Moyes’ project.
This is the story of Everton’s 2026/27 forwards: a lone striker carrying the burden, a supporting cast of wide forwards, and a recruitment failure that could yet define the season.
Tactical Context
Moyes’ attacking system is built around Barry as a physical focal point. The Frenchman is a classic target man—tall, strong, and willing to pin centre-backs and hold the ball up while his teammates join the attack. His role is not to be a prolific poacher in the mould of Haaland; it is to be the reference point around which Everton’s attacking structure is built.
The numbers reflect this. Barry’s 7.3 expected goals (xG) accounted for more than half of Everton’s overall total in the early part of the season, a statistic that reveals both his importance and the team’s reliance on him. Behind him, Iliman Ndiaye provided creativity and goals from the left flank, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was the primary creator from midfield.
The system is functional rather than fluid. Everton do not create a high volume of chances, which makes Barry’s misses more conspicuous and his goals more valuable. When he scores, Everton win. When he does not, the team struggles to find alternative sources of goals.
The lack of a senior alternative is the structural flaw. Braiden Graham, an academy product, is the only other central option of note. If Barry suffers an injury or a suspension, Moyes has no like-for-like replacement. The January window may offer an opportunity to address this, but the club’s summer failure suggests that finding the right striker at the right price is not straightforward.
The Forwards
Thierno Barry
Barry is Everton’s first-choice striker, top scorer, and the player upon whom the team’s attacking output depends. The 23-year-old Frenchman has started every league match, scoring three goals in the Premier League and six across all competitions in the early part of the season.
His profile is that of a developing target man. At 195 cm, he is a physical presence in the box, capable of holding up play and bringing teammates into the attack. His movement and anticipation have allowed him to accumulate a high volume of high-quality chances—only Haaland accumulated more expected goals in the early part of the campaign. The issue has been conversion. His 10 missed big chances were double the next-highest player in the league, and his shot conversion rate of 13.6% was half that of Haaland’s.
Moyes’ optimism is rooted in the belief that regression to the mean will take over. A striker who gets into the right positions consistently will eventually score. Barry’s three league goals in six appearances suggested that process was already underway. At 23, he is still developing, and his progress from a slow start last season—when he did not score his first goal until mid-December—has been significant.
The concern is the burden. Barry is Everton’s only senior striker. He cannot be rested, rotated, or protected. If his form dips or his body breaks down, Moyes has no alternative. The club’s failure to sign cover in the summer was a gamble that has, so far, paid off. But it remains a gamble.
Iliman Ndiaye
Ndiaye has been Everton’s most creative forward, operating primarily from the left flank. The Senegal international has provided goals and assists, with his dribbling and directness giving Moyes’ attack a dimension that Barry alone cannot provide.
His departure to Manchester City in the summer was expected to be a significant loss, and The Athletic noted that “barring the odd moment from Iliman Ndiaye, who moved to Manchester City in the summer, or Dewsbury-Hall, excitement has been in short supply at Everton in recent seasons.” The fact that Everton have coped without him is a testament to the collective effort, but Ndiaye’s creativity has been missed.
Tyler Dibling
Dibling has been a squad option in the forward line, making limited appearances. The 20-year-old, signed in the summer, has been used primarily from the bench, accumulating minutes but without a significant goal contribution in the early part of the season.
His development is a long-term project. At 20, he has time to establish himself, but he is not yet a reliable first-team contributor.
Beto
Beto has been on the periphery of the squad, making just two substitute appearances totalling 33 minutes without a goal. The Portuguese forward has been unable to force his way into Moyes’ plans, and his future at the club appears uncertain.
At 28, Beto needs regular football. Whether that comes at Everton or elsewhere remains to be seen, but his lack of involvement suggests he is not part of the manager’s long-term vision.
Braiden Graham
Graham is the academy prospect who provides emergency cover up front. The 18-year-old is the only other central striking option of note in the squad, a statistic that highlights the thinness of Everton’s forward line.
He is a development player, not a first-team solution this season. But his presence on the bench is a reminder of how reliant Everton are on Barry.
The Numbers Game
TABLE A: Everton Forward Premier League Statistics (2026/27)
| Player | Apps (Starts) | Minutes | Goals | Assists | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thierno Barry | 8 (8) | 685 | 3 | 0 | 7.3 |
| Iliman Ndiaye | — | — | — | — | — |
| Beto | 2 (0) | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0.11 |
| Tyler Dibling | — | 30+ | 0 | 0 | 0.17 |
TABLE B: Everton Attack – Key Metrics (Premier League 2026/27)
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Barry Big Chances Missed | 10 | Most in the Premier League |
| Barry Shot Conversion | 13.6% | Half of Haaland’s 27.3% |
| Barry xG Share | 7.3 | More than half of Everton’s total |
| Other Players with 2+ Goals | 0 | Reliance on Barry and Dewsbury-Hall |
TABLE C: Forward Availability (November 2026)
| Player | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thierno Barry | Fit | Only senior striker |
| Iliman Ndiaye | Fit | Primary wide threat |
| Tyler Dibling | Fit | Development |
| Beto | Fit | Peripheral |
| Braiden Graham | Fit | Academy cover |
Tactical Identity & Squad Balance
Everton’s forward line is a study in reliance. Barry is the focal point, the goalscorer, and the only senior striker. When he plays well, Everton win. When he does not, the team struggles to find alternative sources of goals.
The numbers reveal the imbalance. Barry’s xG accounted for more than half of Everton’s overall total in the early part of the season, and no other player had scored more than once. The wide forwards—Ndiaye and Dibling—provide creativity and width, but they are not prolific goalscorers. The midfield contributes, but not at a rate that can compensate for a striker’s drought.
The summer recruitment failure is the defining structural issue. Everton ended the window with Barry as their only recognised senior striker. The move for Balogun collapsed. The free-agent market did not yield a solution. Moyes has been forced to rely on a 23-year-old in his second season in England, with an 18-year-old academy prospect as the only cover.
That reliance has, so far, been rewarded. Barry’s goals have powered Everton’s unexpectedly strong start. But the fragility of the situation is undeniable. A single injury, a suspension, or a dip in form could leave Everton without a recognised striker for a crucial period.
The Verdict from the Camp
David Moyes, Everton manager:
“Well, we’re so pleased about the goals he’s scoring. We really are, but I think somebody told me the other day that he might have missed the most big chances in the Premier League. Some centre-forwards might see that as getting in the right place at the right time and getting those opportunities.”
“When you’re the manager, you just want them to score. Because I’ve said many times, I don’t think necessarily we’ll be a team which gets loads and loads of opportunities, we’d probably have to be clinical when we get those opportunities. I’d like him to score more and be cleaner when he has to be, but I’m pleased with the way he’s moving forward.”
The Athletic Analysis:
“Thierno Barry is scoring, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has joined him as one of the league’s form players and key defender Jarrad Branthwaite has stayed fit enough to play regularly after the injury issues of previous campaigns.”
“Everton have faced the eighth-most shots in the league. At times, they have been cut open in midfield and isolated in the full-back positions. There is also a heavy reliance on Barry and Dewsbury-Hall, with the striker’s 7.3 expected goals (xG) accounting for more than half of Everton’s overall number. Other than those two, no other player has scored more than once.”
“As well as Barry is doing, they need someone else to share the burden up front, even if it is just by giving him a breather at the end of games.”
Where Next?
Everton’s forward priority is clear: they need another striker. The reliance on Barry is unsustainable over the course of a season, and the lack of a senior alternative is the most obvious weakness in an otherwise encouraging squad.
The January window offers an opportunity to address the imbalance. The club has been linked with Vitor Roque, the Palmeiras striker valued at around £42-44 million, though reports suggest his profile—a mobile forward who drifts wide—may not suit Moyes’ preference for a physical target man. A more conventional striker, capable of rotating with Barry and providing a different option, may be the priority.
For now, Everton’s forwards are performing above expectations. Barry’s goals have powered the club’s strong start. Ndiaye’s creativity has provided a spark. But the thinness of the squad is a gamble that Moyes did not want to take—and one that could yet define the season.
