ALMOST A HAUNT: HOW CLOSE DOMINIC CALVERT-LEWIN CAME TO BREAKING EVERTONIAN HEARTS
Thierno Barry Everton goals 2026, Dominic Calvert-Lewin return to Everton, Idrissa Gana Gueye AFCON return, and David Moyes tactics.
Everton fans finally got a night where they didn’t have to regret letting the Premier League’s top English scorer walk out the door for nothing. Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed up for his first match back against his old team and even hit the post, but it was Thierno Barry—the guy Everton brought in to fill his boots—who stole the show. Barry bagged another stunning goal, saving Everton from a loss for the second week in a row.
Calvert-Lewin got a few boos from the crowd, but Barry’s name echoed around Hill Dickinson Stadium. He and Beto used to be the punchline—two strikers who couldn’t buy a goal and just kept swapping places. Not anymore. Barry’s got four goals in his last five league games. He started his Premier League run with 15 shots and no goals, but now he’s scored five times from his last ten attempts. He didn’t do much before halftime, just like the rest of Everton, but after the break, he turned it on.
The match really broke into two clear halves, all down to the managers. Daniel Farke had the first half all figured out. But then David Moyes made a huge adjustment—he switched to Farke’s back three, shook up a team that had barely threatened at all (zero shots on target for the first hour!), and suddenly they looked dangerous.
A lot of that came from an unexpected source: Idrissa Gana Gueye. He’s a defensive midfielder who just won AFCON last week, and out of nowhere, he became Everton’s main attacking threat. Gueye set up Barry’s goal and then almost scored himself, smashing a shot off the bar from 20 yards. After barely playing since his bizarre red card for slapping Michael Keane at Old Trafford back in November, Gueye owed Everton something. Last night, he paid them back.
Barry’s starting to look like he’s worth the £27 million Everton spent. There was real skill in the outside-of-the-foot shot that forced a save from Karl Darlow, and his goal showed real confidence—he just lifted the ball over the keeper, thanks to Gueye’s low cross at the near post. Moyes summed it up: “That’s textbook centre-forward play. He beat the defender and finished well. Great run.”
Everton fans got a taste of this already, like when Barry chipped Emi Martinez to seal their best win of the season at Aston Villa. He’s settling in, no doubt. “I’m really pleased for Thierno,” Moyes said. “Strikers need goals, and he didn’t get one at first. It’s not easy for big-money signings in this league.”
Barry’s just getting started, but Moyes is nearing the end of his career. Still, the 62-year-old showed he’s got plenty of tricks left. At halftime, he made bold moves—pulled Dwight McNeil (who’d left James Justin wide open for Leeds’ goal) and Harrison Armstrong, and brought on Jarrad Branthwaite for his first appearance this season and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for his first in 2026. “I didn’t plan to use Jarrad or Kiernan so early,” Moyes admitted. But with injuries stacking up and more options available, even without Jack Grealish, he used his bench smartly.
Not that Everton started well. “We were really poor in the first half,” Moyes said. “I can’t explain it.” They looked lost against Farke’s setup. Farke’s reputation is all about defensive solidity, and he started five defenders plus two holding midfielders. You’d expect a defensive lineup, but it actually freed up his wing-backs—and it worked.
His left wing-back scored. The right almost got an assist. Justin finished off a low cross from Anton Stach that slipped through Calvert-Lewin’s legs and landed perfectly for him. Then Calvert-Lewin had his chance, clanging the post off Jayden Bogle’s cross. “Dominic probably should have scored,” Farke said with a sigh.
Calvert-Lewin is the man who scored that famous goal against Crystal Palace in 2022—the one that kept Everton up, saved them from relegation and financial meltdown, and helped fund their new stadium. Last night, his old teammate Jordan Pickford stopped him from adding to that legacy.
Injuries are really why Everton didn’t match Calvert-Lewin’s salary requests. There have been times they’ve missed him this season. Goals have been hard to come by—only Sunderland in the top 14 have fewer—and home wins are rare. Hill Dickinson Stadium might look top-class, but it’s no fortress. The last five visitors all left undefeated.
Leeds heads back across the Pennines with some regrets. “Slightly disappointed we didn’t win all three points,” Farke said. That would’ve topped off a remarkable comeback. They managed just 11 points in their first 13 league games—now they’ve picked up 15 from the last 10.
Even so, they’ve only moved up two spots, and over the weekend, West Ham and Nottingham Forest got even closer. “We can’t control what happens elsewhere,” Farke pointed out. “It’s a long season—38 games—and not every matchday works out for you.”
And this one didn’t. Leeds sit on 26 points. Last season, that would’ve kept them up, but this year, it’s not enough. There’s still a lot of work ahead, though Farke stays positive: “This group has shown again we’ve got what it takes to pick up enough points and stay in the league.”
HOW JAMES MADDISON’S INDIVIDUAL TRAINING SIGNALS A SHOCK SEASON RETURN
James Maddison returns to individual training as Igor Tudor prepares Tottenham for a vital relegation battle with Forest.
Ahead of Tottenham’s match against Nottingham Forest, manager Igor Tudor gave an update on when James Maddison might return from injury. It’s a crucial moment for Spurs as they prepare to host Forest in what could be the defining 90 minutes of Tudor’s time at the club and quite possibly a key fixture that will shape the season for both teams.
Currently separated by just one point, Tottenham and Forest are locked in a battle against relegation. A win would push Spurs four points clear of the drop zone, while a loss might drag them into the bottom three. The stakes couldn’t be clearer.
Tudor’s side heads into this game with renewed energy, surprisingly positive given the mood just two weeks ago. The draw at Anfield broke a six-game losing streak, and their recent 3-2 victory over Atlético Madrid, though not enough to overturn the aggregate score, brought back a sense of belief. Young players like Xavi Simons and Archie Gray impressed, while Mathys Tel kept the opposition on their toes. The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was electric in a way fans haven’t felt for months. While the Champions League hopes are dashed, that performance has injected valuable momentum into Spurs’ survival fight.
There’s also some hopeful news on the injury front. Dominic Solanke, who missed the Atlético leg with a hip issue, might be available. His physical presence adds a different dimension to Tottenham’s attack, which Tudor will surely be glad to have.
But the most promising update came from Tudor’s comments about Maddison. The creative midfielder, sidelined since August after rupturing his ACL in a preseason friendly, has begun some individual training, spotted alongside Palhinha. Recoveries from ACL injuries are never straightforward, and the team won’t rush him back. With only seven league games left after Sunday, there’s a narrow window for his return. Still, even the possibility of Maddison getting back on the pitch—someone who can change a game with a moment of skill or a precise pass—offers a much-needed morale boost.
For now, though, the focus remains firmly on Forest.
WHY BORUSSIA DORTMUND EXPECT JADON SANCHO TO SIGN FOR FREE
Unai Emery praises Jadon Sancho despite poor stats, while Dortmund free up £21m in wages to lure him back to Germany.
Borussia Dortmund really want Jadon Sancho back, and they’re hoping to get him for free from Manchester United. Sancho’s contract runs out this summer, and honestly, no one expects United to offer him a new one.
Right now, Sancho’s on loan at Aston Villa. It’s his third spell away from Old Trafford since United signed him for £73 million in 2021. His move to Villa was just a loan with no option to buy.
Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, has hinted he might keep Sancho, but Dortmund aren’t sitting around. The Times says Dortmund didn’t chase wingers last summer because Nico Kovac liked the 3-4-2-1 formation, but now the boss has changed his mind and wants Sancho back.
If Sancho comes back, he'll need to take a hefty pay cut from his £300,000-a-week salary. Still, Dortmund’s where he made his name after moving from Manchester City in 2017.
Dortmund have room in the budget this summer; they let the contracts of Julian Brandt, Niklas Süle, and Salih Özcan run out. That saves them about £21 million a year, and they’re optimistic they can lure Sancho, who’s allowed to strike pre-contract deals with foreign clubs.
Sancho actually spent half of the 2024 season back at Dortmund after Erik ten Hag froze him out at United. He helped them reach the Champions League final, but nothing permanent came of it.
Something similar happened during his loan to Chelsea last season. The club even paid a £5 million penalty just to avoid having to sign him outright. Villa picked him up right at the transfer deadline in September, but, once again, he’s struggled.
So far, Sancho’s got one goal and one assist in 29 games across all competitions. Still, Emery thinks there’s more to come.
When asked in February about signing Sancho for good, Emery said, “Not yet, but he’s a fantastic player. Hopefully, he can help us by improving within our system, like he is doing.
“He’ll need a new contract; maybe it’s here. If he plays his best football, we’ll want him. But other teams will be interested, too.”
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