Everton held by Leeds as Thierno Barry’s late leveller earns a point

Barry strikes again as Everton recover after the break

Everton’s long wait for a home win continued, but a second-half response ensured they avoided defeat as they drew 1-1 with Leeds United in the Premier League. Thierno Barry, in a rich run of form after a slow start to his league campaign, scored a 76th-minute equaliser to cancel out James Justin’s first-half opener.

Played in front of an attendance of 51,979 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the match was a tale of two contrasting halves. Leeds were the sharper, more assertive side before the interval and went into the dressing room with a lead that felt deserved. Everton, booed off at half-time after failing to register a shot on target, improved significantly after David Moyes altered his approach at the break.

In the end, Everton had chances to take all three points late on, most notably when Idrissa Gueye struck the crossbar just two minutes after Barry’s goal. Leeds, meanwhile, had reason to feel they let an opportunity slip after dominating much of the first half and threatening to extend their advantage.

How the game unfolded

The early stages set the tone for a first half in which Leeds carried greater purpose. Everton struggled to establish rhythm and were second best in key areas, allowing the visitors to build pressure and create a steady flow of attempts.

Leeds made that superiority count in the 28th minute. Anton Stach delivered a cross and James Justin finished from it to put the away side ahead. It was a goal that reflected Leeds’ control and their ability to find space in advanced areas.

Only six minutes later, the game could have swung further in Leeds’ favour. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, facing Everton for the first time since joining Leeds in the summer on a free transfer, came close to scoring when he hit the post. Everton, already under strain, escaped going two behind but still had little to show for their efforts before the interval.

By half-time the contrast in attacking output was stark. Everton had not managed a shot on target, while Leeds had recorded 10 attempts. The home crowd’s frustration was clear as Everton were booed off, and the sense was that Moyes needed to change something quickly.

Moyes’ half-time changes shift the momentum

Moyes responded decisively. He made a double substitution at the break, introducing Jarrad Branthwaite and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The adjustment was designed to better match Leeds’ back three and to give Everton more stability and presence in the areas where they had been overrun in the first half.

The impact was immediate. Everton played with greater urgency and looked more capable of sustaining pressure. The game became more balanced, and Leeds were forced to defend for longer spells than they had in the opening 45 minutes.

While Leeds still had moments of control without the ball, Everton’s second-half improvement brought them into positions where an equaliser began to feel possible, even if it was not obvious where the breakthrough would come from.

Barry’s 76th-minute equaliser

Everton’s goal arrived in the 76th minute and again came from Barry, whose recent scoring streak has changed the narrative around his season. Idrissa Gueye delivered a cross and Barry poked home the leveller, a finish that rewarded Everton’s persistence and their stronger second-half approach.

The strike underlined Barry’s turnaround. He had scored only once in his first 18 league appearances, but this was his fourth goal in five top-flight games. In a match where Everton’s attacking options had looked limited for long periods, his ability to take a chance proved decisive.

Barry’s influence was recognised after the final whistle as he was named Player of the Match.

Everton push for a winner but settle for a draw

After equalising, Everton briefly looked capable of completing the comeback. Just two minutes after Barry scored, Gueye struck the bar, a moment that would have turned a rescued point into a valuable home victory.

However, Everton could not find the decisive second goal. The draw extended their winless run at home to five games, even as the point moved them into the top half of the table. The pattern of their home form remains a concern, particularly given how subdued they were in the first half.

For Leeds, the result prevented them from claiming back-to-back league wins for the first time this season. They remain 16th and sit six points above the drop, a position that reflects both the progress they have made and the fine margins that still define their campaign.

Managers’ verdicts: frustration for Moyes, encouragement for Farke

Moyes did not hide his disappointment with Everton’s first-half performance. He said he was “really disappointed” with how his side played and felt the initial set-up “didn’t really work as well as we’d have liked.” While he praised the improvement after the break and credited the team’s persistence, he also suggested Everton were “a bit unfortunate not to get a second one.”

On his half-time changes, Moyes explained the thinking in blunt terms. He said he “hoped we couldn’t play any worse than we had in the first half,” and acknowledged that Leeds were first to too many balls and that Everton did not compete as they usually do. He also noted that several players are on the way back but were not fit to start, and admitted he may have gone “a bit early” with Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall, but felt changes were needed to make a difference. In his view, the substitutes did exactly that.

Moyes also offered insight into Barry’s recent improvement. He stressed that a centre-forward needs goals, and while Barry did not score much early on, his overall play has improved. Moyes pointed to Barry becoming more settled, training better, and benefiting from that consistency, even if training alone is “not always the answer.”

Leeds boss Daniel Farke took a more positive view of the draw, describing it as “a good result as a promoted side” at a “tough place,” especially given Everton’s second-half surge. Still, he admitted there was disappointment because Leeds were “not far away from winning it.”

Farke felt Leeds produced an “excellent performance” in the first half, calling it “very dominant” and saying his team did not allow chances and should have scored a second goal. In his assessment, Leeds should have “buried the game in the first half.”

He acknowledged, though, that Everton’s quality meant they were always likely to have a spell in the match, particularly given the options they could introduce. Farke said Everton had more possession after the break, but he believed Leeds still controlled much of the game without the ball. He referenced Karl Darlow making one good save and Everton hitting the crossbar, adding that aside from those moments and the goal, Leeds largely limited Everton’s threat. Overall, he described it as a good performance and “a good point.”

Key moments

• 28th minute: James Justin finishes from Anton Stach’s cross to put Leeds ahead.
• 34th minute: Dominic Calvert-Lewin hits the post against his former club.
• Half-time: Everton are booed off after failing to record a shot on target; Leeds have 10 attempts.
• Half-time substitutions: Moyes brings on Jarrad Branthwaite and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
• 76th minute: Thierno Barry equalises, poking in from Idrissa Gueye’s cross.
• 78th minute: Gueye strikes the crossbar as Everton push for a winner.

Standout performers and team notes

Barry’s equaliser and his broader contribution in the second half made him the central figure in Everton’s recovery. His recent scoring record now stands in sharp contrast to his earlier drought, and his ability to take a key chance ensured Everton had something to show for their improved second-half display.

For Leeds, Justin’s goal and his overall influence stood out, while the first-half structure and intensity reflected what Farke described as a dominant performance. The visitors’ challenge now is converting those strong spells into wins, particularly away from home, where they have only one league win this season.

Everton’s second-half revival also highlighted the impact of Moyes’ substitutions. Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall were introduced to help Everton cope with Leeds’ shape and to bring more control, and Moyes felt their presence changed the dynamic of the contest.

Match details

• Competition: Premier League
• Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium
• Attendance: 51,979
• Score: Everton 1-1 Leeds United
• Everton scorer: Thierno Barry (76)
• Leeds scorer: James Justin (28)

What the draw means

The point leaves Everton reflecting on another home match where they could not secure a win, stretching their winless run on their own ground to five games. Yet the manner of the second-half response, and the fact they came close to winning it after levelling, offered a more encouraging picture than the first half suggested.

Leeds will take reassurance from their first-half dominance and their ability to compete at a difficult venue, but they may also feel the match was there to be won. Sitting 16th and six points above the drop, they remain in a position where small swings in form and results can have significant consequences.

As one analysis put it at half-time, Everton had made Leeds “look like Real Madrid,” a reflection of how one-sided the opening period appeared. The second half told a different story, shaped by tactical changes, improved intensity, and Barry’s continued knack for delivering in key moments.

Looking ahead

Leeds’ next challenge includes a home match against Arsenal at Elland Road. In discussion of that fixture, it was suggested that Arsenal could cause problems but might still only win by a narrow margin, with the atmosphere at Elland Road cited as a factor that has helped Leeds stay competitive in big games. For Everton, the focus will be on translating improved spells into complete performances, particularly at home, where the search for a win continues.