WHY THIERNO BARRY’S TURNAROUND PROVES MOYES WAS RIGHT TO IGNORE THE CRITICS
Thierno Barry continues his hot form with a 76th-minute equaliser for Everton against Leeds. Get the full match report and analysis.
Thierno Barry couldn’t catch a break at first. He went 16 games for Everton without a goal, and it looked rough. But now? He’s scored four times in his last nine matches, and his latest strike pulled a point out of the fire for a Leeds United team that honestly just fell apart.
Barry’s first few months on Merseyside were tough—confidence clearly shot. But once he finally got off the mark in that 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest, something clicked. Tonight, he was right where he needed to be, pouncing on a sluggish cross from Idrissa Gueye and turning it into a reward for Everton’s fight and effort. They deserved it.
Leeds actually started strong. James Justin put them ahead about half an hour in, finishing from close range after a storm of attacks. Everton were lucky to reach halftime just one goal down.
For Everton fans, this was the energy they’d been craving, especially after a brutal week where Jack Grealish got ruled out for three months with a broken foot. Watching Barry, Gueye, and Ndiaye take charge in the second half, you could feel the mood shift. Moyes’ team looks in safe hands.
Leeds really could’ve put the game away early. Pascal Struijk hammered a shot over the bar, and Ilia Gruev wasn’t far off either, both inside the first 15 minutes. In between, Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a chance for Leeds when Anton Stach sent him through, but Jake O’Brien managed to throw him off just enough to keep the ball out.
Farke, under pressure from those five losses in six games—not to mention the boos from fans against Villa—switched up the formation. He leaned heavily on his full-backs, and for a while, Justin and Jayden Bogle made it work. Justin even opened the scoring, blasting home after Bogle’s cross split the Everton defence.
Joe Rodon started that move, grabbing a loose ball and linking up with Bogle and Stach, whose passing just sliced through Everton. Justin timed his run perfectly, stormed into the box, and buried it.
By halftime, Leeds looked set for their first away Premier League win in almost four months. Calvert-Lewin nearly made it two, too, smacking the post after another great ball from Bogle.
But after the break, Everton woke up. Around the hour mark, they started piling on the pressure. Ndiaye saw a goal-bound shot blocked by Sebastiaan Bornauw, and just a few minutes later, Thierno Barry forced Karl Darlow into a full-stretch save with a clever outside-of-the-boot effort.
Barry hadn’t scored much since arriving in England, but with about 15 minutes left, he beat Bornauw to Gueye’s low cross and smashed the ball into the roof of the net. The Hill Dickinson crowd went wild—suddenly, you felt like Everton could win this.
Gueye almost turned hero again moments later, rattling the crossbar with a rocket from the edge of the box. The comeback wasn’t complete, but Everton’s attitude and energy had completely changed the game.
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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