For once, Everton eased through the second round of the League Cup and did so in style, with a thumping 4-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale.
Thierno Barry scored a hat-trick, Brennan Johnson grabbed his first Everton goal, and David Moyes was rewarded for naming a strong starting XI.
Here’s how we rated the Everton players.
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford – 7
Brilliant to see him starting this game, which set the tone from the off. Only had one save to make, from an overhead kick shortly after the hour, but added composure behind the defence.
Right-back: Merlin Röhl – 7
Once again played at right-back, and once again he did just fine. A few nervy moments in the first half, when he was caught out of position, but he really adds something going forward form that position, and he then moved into midfield after the hour once James Garner went off.
Centre-back: James Tarkowski – 7
A steady performance from Everton’s captain, who made some decent blocks and led the Toffees for clearances (5). He did, however, make one error, when he was dragged out wide and failed to make a simple tackle.
Centre-back: Michael Keane – 7
Eyebrows were raised when Keane was named in the defence ahead of Jake O’Brien, who was on the bench after those reports that he is open to leaving Everton. But Keane was hardly troubled.
Left-back: Vitaliy Mykolenko – 8
Mykolenko comes in for plenty of stick, but he was excellent here. Showed real composure, vision and a lovely touch to tee up Barry’s opener, and should have had a second assist when he lofted it through for Iliman Ndiaye in the second half.
Midfield: James Garner – 7
A very solid return to action for last term’s Player of the Season. A few rusty touches, as would be expected, but he kept things ticking nicely and won 4/5 attempted tackles and 6/7 duels. Excellent to have him back.
Midfield: Harrison Armstrong – 8
So efficient and composed in the centre of the park on his return to Deepdale. This is a youngster playing with maturity and technical quality way beyond his years. Completed 51/55 passes, winning possession back a team-leading 10 times.
Midfield: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 9
Everton’s midfield supremo turned it on, playing a part in the first three goals. His delicate, chipped pass into Mykolenko for the opener was a highlight. His class showed against second-tier opponents.
Right-wing: Tyler Dibling – 6
Some nice touches and dribbles, and he was desperately unlucky not to score his first Everton goal when he shot brilliantly on the turn, seeing his attempt kept out by Lee Nicholls, but we still just need to see a bit more conviction to his all-round play. Made way around the hour.
Striker: Thierno Barry – 9
What a day for Everton’s main man up front — and he is now the main man up top, there’s no doubt about that. A hat-trick, with some really smart close-range finishes, and a superb assist, and the Frenchman could easily have had more, which is the only reason he isn’t getting a perfect 10.
Left-wing: Iliman Ndiaye – 7
Some really neat bits of play at the start before he faded out. Came back into it in the second half and really should have scored to make it 3-0, having been put through by Mykolenko, but he fluffed his lines 1v1, albeit he did tee up a great chance for Barry at 1-0 up.
Substitutes
Nathan Patterson – 6
Has perhaps played his final Everton game, but didn’t put a foot wrong at right-back.
Brennan Johnson – 8
What an impact. He came on and provided a quick, direct threat in behind, and set up Barry’s hat-trick goal before ending his own goal drought two minutes later. Off the mark for the Toffees in style.
Adam Aznou – 6
A long-awaited second competitive outing for Aznou, coming on at left wing. Now Everton need to decide if he stays (and he must play a bit if so) or goes on loan.
Tyrique George – 6
Mazy run into the box was the highlight of his cameo, but he slashed wide at the end of it.
Carlos Alcaraz – 6
Didn’t get chance to get into the game much.
Reader Comments (36)
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2 Posted 26/08/2026 at 22:32:17
3 Posted 26/08/2026 at 22:50:05
4 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:20:01
5 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:23:44
Yeah. Or maybe he’s not a winger? What else has Moyes attempted to do with this player to get a performance out of him?
His reputation was forged after some good performances a couple of seasons ago at Southampton where I believe he was played more centrally
6 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:24:14
Definitely a player there but doesn't seem hungry to show it.
7 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:25:31
8 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:25:54
Who did the due diligence? Hands up. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t David Moyes. Not his type of player.
9 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:43:34
10 Posted 26/08/2026 at 23:57:55
11 Posted 27/08/2026 at 01:34:01
Maybe it was our tactics tonight. Both Ndiaye and Dibling seemed to play more inside/central roles and this also applied to Brennan Johnson after he came on as a sub.
It did work well though as all our goals were created by direct passes into the box to open their defence.
12 Posted 27/08/2026 at 01:34:25
Maybe he can copy Barry and come good, after looking so poor? What I liked about our striker tonight was, yes the goals -- they were on a plate but he made the right runs -- but that fact he is linking play better and seems to have a good understanding with Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall.
He's still a bit feeble on the ball and I think we'll see more Calvert-Lewin tap-ins from 6 yards rather than screamers from outside the box, but there is a player in there.
13 Posted 27/08/2026 at 01:36:20
Another win and a confidence-boosting hat-trick... never under-estimate confidence in a striker and those who supply him the bullets to fire.
Some sort of positive result on Sunday, get the window out of the way -- for good or evil, then things may be a bit clearer and we can concentrate on the next 36 games.
14 Posted 27/08/2026 at 04:28:36
Okay, being in the right place at the right time does deserve a nod or two. I don't think I'm being cruel to Barry -- am I?
15 Posted 27/08/2026 at 05:21:23
You also entirely omit mention of the fact that Johnson's goal was built on Barry's efforts. He stole the ball from the Preston player. He played a perfect ball into Johnson's path -- his second ideal setup of the day.
I'd say Barry being the first Everton player to be involved in four goals in a game, and the first to score an away hat-trick, since Lukaku a decade ago deserves a 9. I'm kind of surprised you don't.
Mark #12, agreed. I don't think he'll ever be dangerous shooting the ball, and he certainly isn't graceful, but there's a lot there to build on.
16 Posted 27/08/2026 at 05:49:22
I am going to rechristen him from Legs Akimbo II to Diddy Didier if he keeps this up. Drogba wasn't elegant either, but still a great player.
As for Dibling, we have seen enough in pre-season to know there is a talented player in there. Saying he is a lost cause is not correct at all. With Ndiaye, George, Johnson and potentially Grealish in the squad, we should send him on a year-long loan to Europe to develop.
We did this with Branthwaite and he came back to be a first-team regular.
17 Posted 27/08/2026 at 06:22:20
We know he's not the most polished but you can see he's been putting in the work over the summer. He's started the season on fire and I'm absolutely delighted for the lad. As I said on the other thread, he's miles better than Beto and I'd take him over Delap all day long.
Let's get behind the lad and encourage him instead of trying to find fault all the time.
18 Posted 27/08/2026 at 06:44:48
Plenty of confidence for him to build on now and hopefully have a really good season.
19 Posted 27/08/2026 at 06:58:34
"There you go -- we don't need to sign anyone else... look what we achieved with the squad we have!"
20 Posted 27/08/2026 at 07:00:32
22 Posted 27/08/2026 at 07:00:38
23 Posted 27/08/2026 at 07:02:54
But he ain't a 9 striker mate. We have to get someone in mate.
24 Posted 27/08/2026 at 07:36:39
Optimism here, though I agree, Paul #23, a new experienced striker would help as Barry hopefully keeps developing. We need a modern Andy Gray for now.
25 Posted 27/08/2026 at 07:55:52
Dibling, while I think he did okay, just looked like the new kid at school, not sure where to stand, not sure when he should get involved. A few good bits, a few dodgy moments.
But there's nothing worse than seeing a player give the ball away and then start walking as the play rushes up the other end. It will be hard for him to get into a Moyes team doing that.
26 Posted 27/08/2026 at 08:58:41
I would say that Moyes does not allow any space in his team for any player that might have a mistake in them. Like when Ross Barkley made a mistake against Blackburn and was completely bombed by Moyes thereafter.
He's not given Dibling any kind of run in the team. He probably doesn't deserve one -- but at the end of last season, there was a run of games when he could've featured. A run of games where our performances and results were atrocious. Dwight McNeil with seemingly no future at the club, was preferred.
By his own admission, he won't put emerging players in their proper positions because he's terrified of them making ‘mistakes' there. Hence why Lescott played left back for 18 months, Jagielka played deepest of a midfield 3, Coleman played right wing for the majority of the time that Moyes had him, O'Brien plays right-back for us, Osman and Arteta for years were never trusted as central midfield players, Grealish should've been playing central for us last season... You can go on.
Classic Moyes after the game down-playing expectations last night. First-class tactics from the manager.
27 Posted 27/08/2026 at 09:27:47
I personally like that midfield, and Rohl at right back. Yes, you lose a bit of positional play, but his passing ability to step up & make another midfielder, recovery pace and abilty to get forward massively outweighs it for me.
He is setting a high bar for a right back performance to beat. I can only see Doue comfortably do that, and see Johnston & Munoz as a weaker answer medium/long term.
I think Barry is starting to turn a couple of fans. The lazy chants are dying down, as his goals, assists and link up play has improved, as his positional sense. The roll back to rohl in Germany highlighted the differential to Beto, as a player with more touch & awareness. Great start for him., and hitting 50% of last seasons goals in 2 matches. If he hits 15-20 it'll be humble pie all round.
I had to laugh yesterday when someone reckoned their mum could have scored the first. A good weight of pass, and barry got between the centre halves with a well timed run. If your Ma can do that, tell her to bring her boots.
28 Posted 27/08/2026 at 10:31:21
For Barry, there is gonna be a decent striker there if we can continue to put it on a plate for him. But his success depends on the creativity in the midfield.
Finally, a solid performance by Tarky and Keane who dealt with everything. I'm still not seeing how Jake O' Brien is improving on Tarky, but then again I'm basing my assessment on objective footballing ability rather than a stick to beat the manager with
29 Posted 27/08/2026 at 10:51:34
Moyes plus his staff have to pick who they think is our best team for each opponent, I don't suppose they care how old they are. Young inexperienced players are likely to make more mistakes than experienced ones and he knows what he will get from them.
I understand your point that if you don't play the youngest players they are not going to develop and your correct, but it's a fine line between success and failure.
I think he knows that due to the overall standard of the team if he takes too many risks it will end in tears.
I agree with your point that he is a cautious manager but maybe that's the best option at the moment, if we could sign a couple of game changers he might change his tune.
I thought all the players had decent games, DH had his usual good game and Barry seems to be developing. Preston are in poor form just now but you can only beat the team in front of you.
30 Posted 27/08/2026 at 11:21:11
Whereas Moyes was afraid to play Stones and Barkley - Martinez had them involved straight away.
I don’t know whether Dibling had the capability of becoming a good player or not. But we will never know if he doesn’t play and likewise he never will if he doesn’t play.
Giving him 45 mins in a wide position is not enough of an opportunity. Do all players just play amazingly well for 90 minutes? Maybe he needs to grow into a game, maybe he needs the confidence of getting through 90minutes and knowing his body can adapt and cope with the physicality.
What Moyes is doing with him does not work or is not working.
And that’s fine if the 11 players he chooses are playing well and winning games. But at the end of last season they weren’t doing that. And he knew McNeil was out of the door so why did he not use that opportunity to put his faith in Dibling with a view to building him into something for this season?
If he feels there is no hope for the player then get him gone or loaned out if we can’t get shut.
You can tell Moyes doesn’t want to be picking Harrison Armstrong either. The first whiff of a mistake or under par performance from him and he’ll be gone from the team and Norgaard will be taking his place in midfield.
31 Posted 27/08/2026 at 11:44:50
32 Posted 27/08/2026 at 11:53:20
I too tend to be a safety first merchant.
33 Posted 27/08/2026 at 12:48:23
Do you think so? Even after an incredible performance vs Palace and another good display last night?
I think the stats were that he was 2nd in the most ground covered in the first round of games this season.
34 Posted 27/08/2026 at 13:35:08
I don’t care whose ma would have scored his first and third goals, or that his second came off his shin. They all count.
He won't come across the sort of generosity Preston afforded him last night again this season, but that would have been a good confidence-booster for him and I think we are entitled to expect a decent improvement on the 9 Premier League goals he scored last season.
The crowd will find it far easier to forgive his abject play outside the box if he keeps showing up when it matters inside it.
Deffo deserved his 9.
35 Posted 27/08/2026 at 13:39:20
36 Posted 27/08/2026 at 16:21:05
You can say they were tap-ins, but they were striker goals, in the box, at the right time, right place, three poacher goals.
He also set up Johnson's goal, credit where it's due.
37 Posted 27/08/2026 at 17:45:35
Look at it this way: apart from Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall, there are 8 other players that don't score goals on the pitch. So they should be doing all the other things that Barry should supposedly be doing -- and just let him concentrate on scoring goals.
Yes, his first touch is poor. Yes, his build-up play is very raw. But his aerial duel statistics last year were very good and I've no doubt he does his running and puts the work in trying to close down. His chance conversion rate last season was actually quite good too.
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1 Posted 26/08/2026 at 22:30:07