Everton held by Leeds as Barry’s late equaliser secures 1-1 draw

Barry rescues a point as Everton and Leeds share the spoils

Everton and Leeds played out a 1-1 draw in the Premier League at Hill Dickinson Stadium in front of an attendance of 51,979, with Thierno Barry continuing his recent scoring run to cancel out James Justin’s first-half opener.

The result left Everton unable to end a difficult sequence at home, extending their winless run on their own ground to five league matches. Leeds, meanwhile, took another point as a promoted side and remained six points above the drop zone, though their away form continues to be a concern with only one league win on the road this season.

Leeds’ first-half control rewarded through Justin

For long periods of the opening 45 minutes, Leeds looked the more assured team. Their dominance was reflected in both territory and chance creation: Leeds registered 10 attempts in the first half, while Everton failed to manage a shot on target before the break.

The visitors’ pressure eventually told in the 28th minute. James Justin broke forward and finished from Anton Stach’s cross to give Leeds a deserved lead. The goal was a clean, direct moment that matched the tone of Leeds’ first-half performance: purposeful movement, quick service into the area, and a decisive end product.

Everton’s difficulties were underlined by the reaction at half-time. Having struggled to gain a foothold and with Leeds repeatedly first to second balls, the home side were booed off as they headed down the tunnel.

Calvert-Lewin goes close against his former club

Leeds could have doubled their advantage shortly after taking the lead. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, playing his first match against Everton since joining Leeds in the summer on a free transfer, came close to scoring when he struck the post six minutes after Justin’s opener.

The near-miss mattered because the first half had the feel of a game Leeds might have put beyond Everton’s reach. Instead, the visitors went into the interval with only a single-goal cushion, leaving the door open for a response.

Moyes changes shape and Everton find momentum

Everton manager David Moyes acknowledged after the match that his side’s first-half approach had not worked as intended. With Leeds operating with three at the back, Moyes responded at half-time with a double substitution, introducing Jarrad Branthwaite and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in an effort to match the visitors’ structure and change the rhythm of the contest.

The adjustment had a clear impact. Everton were sharper and more competitive after the restart, showing greater urgency and more control of the spaces Leeds had exploited earlier. Moyes later said he had hoped his team “couldn’t play any worse” than they did in the opening period, and the second half was a marked improvement in both intensity and cohesion.

While Leeds still defended with discipline, Everton’s increased aggression and improved positioning helped them sustain attacks and push the game higher up the pitch. The match began to resemble the type of contest Everton had been unable to generate in the first half: more contested duels, more pressure on the ball, and more deliveries into dangerous areas.

Barry strikes again to level the match

Everton’s improved second-half performance was ultimately rewarded in the 76th minute. Thierno Barry, who has transformed his season in recent weeks, poked home the equaliser from Idrissa Gueye’s cross to make it 1-1.

The goal continued a striking run of form for the forward. Barry had scored only once in his first 18 league appearances, but this finish was his fourth goal in five top-flight games, underlining a shift in confidence and effectiveness in front of goal. It was enough to earn him the match’s Player of the Match award.

For Leeds, the equaliser was a frustration because it arrived during a period when they were managing the second half with more resistance than control. Everton had lifted the tempo, and the visitors were increasingly having to defend their lead rather than build on it.

Everton come close as Gueye hits the bar

Almost immediately after drawing level, Everton threatened to complete the turnaround. Idrissa Gueye struck the crossbar just two minutes after Barry’s goal, a moment that briefly raised the noise inside the stadium and suggested the home side might find a late winner.

However, Everton could not turn that momentum into a decisive second goal. Leeds held firm through the closing stages, and the match ended with both teams taking a point that reflected two contrasting halves: Leeds’ authority before the break and Everton’s revival after it.

What the result means for both sides

From Everton’s perspective, the draw was a mixed outcome. The second-half response offered encouragement, and the point moved them into the top half of the table. Yet the inability to claim three points at home again will concern Moyes, especially given the first-half performance that left them chasing the game.

For Leeds, the point continued a pattern of competitiveness without consistently turning performances into wins away from home. Sitting 16th and six points above the relegation places, they will view a draw at a difficult venue as valuable, even if it came with the feeling that a stronger first-half advantage might have delivered more.

Managers’ verdict: frustration for Moyes, satisfaction for Farke

Moyes was candid about Everton’s opening 45 minutes, describing himself as “really disappointed” with how his side played and how the set-up functioned. He felt the second half was “much better” and praised the persistence that eventually brought an equaliser, while also noting Everton were “a bit unfortunate not to get a second one.”

On his half-time changes, Moyes explained that the team needed a jolt and that the substitutes were introduced to make a difference. He also referenced players returning from injury but not yet ready to start, adding that he may have acted “a bit early” with Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall, but felt the situation demanded it.

Discussing Barry’s recent scoring streak, Moyes pointed to the forward’s improvement in overall play and training standards, suggesting that greater settlement and better work on the training pitch can increase the likelihood of goals, even if it is “not always the answer.”

Leeds boss Daniel Farke framed the draw as a positive outcome for a promoted team, calling it “definitely a good result” given the challenge of playing Everton, particularly once the home side improved after half-time. At the same time, he admitted disappointment that Leeds were “not far away from winning it,” believing their first-half display was “excellent” and that they “should’ve scored the second goal.”

Farke argued that Leeds still controlled much of the game without the ball in the second half, acknowledging a good save from Karl Darlow and Gueye’s effort against the crossbar, but suggesting the visitors limited Everton’s clear chances beyond the equaliser.

Key moments

• 28’: James Justin scores for Leeds from Anton Stach’s cross to make it 0-1.
• 34’: Dominic Calvert-Lewin hits the post against Everton.
• Half-time: Everton are booed off after failing to register a shot on target; Leeds have 10 first-half attempts.
• 76’: Thierno Barry equalises for Everton from Idrissa Gueye’s cross, 1-1.
• 78’: Gueye hits the crossbar as Everton push for a winner.

Standout performers and team notes

Barry’s equaliser and continued scoring form made him the decisive figure for Everton, while Gueye’s influence grew after the break, contributing the assist and coming close to scoring himself. Leeds’ James Justin provided the key attacking moment of the first half with his goal, and the visitors’ early control was also reflected in the contributions of players such as Stach and Aaronson as Leeds repeatedly threatened before the interval.

Everton’s line-up included Jordan Pickford in goal, with a back four of Patterson, Tarkowski, O’Brien and Mykolenko. Gueye and Garner operated in midfield, with McNeil, Armstrong and Ndiaye supporting Barry up front. Leeds started with Darlow in goal and a system that included Rodon, Bornauw and Struijk, with Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev and Justin across the midfield line, and Stach and Aaronson supporting Calvert-Lewin.

Among the substitutions, Branthwaite and Dewsbury-Hall were central to Everton’s improved second-half structure and competitiveness, as Moyes sought to better match Leeds’ shape and increase the team’s control of key areas.

Looking ahead

Leeds’ next league challenge is a home match against Arsenal on Saturday. Pundit Jamie Carragher suggested Arsenal may win by a narrow margin rather than scoring freely, noting their reliance on set-pieces and pointing to the importance of atmosphere in helping Leeds stay competitive at Elland Road.

For Everton, the immediate takeaway will be the contrast between the two halves. The second-half response and another goal from Barry offered positives, but the first-half performance and the continuing inability to win at home remain issues Moyes will want to address quickly.