Ten games into their Premier League season, Everton sit sixth in the table. The 3-1 comeback victory over Coventry City on Friday night capped a strong start to the campaign for David Moyes and his side.
The win was Everton’s third in eight days after they had beaten Newcastle United twice in the space of four days, in both the League Cup and the Premier League. The Blues have only suffered two defeats so far this season, against Chelsea and Arsenal, and a number of the club’s players have produced impressive displays.
Writers name their standout performer
Everton writers Connor O’Neill and Chris Beesley have had their say on who they believe has been the standout performer so far this season.
O’Neill acknowledged the goals scored by Thierno Barry, but noted there have been times when he hasn’t done enough and times when he has been poor. He praised Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for stepping up in recent weeks, especially in the absence of Jack Grealish, but his pick for player of the season so far is James Tarkowski.
“I think it has perhaps gone under the radar just how good he has been,” O’Neill said. He added that while there will always be fanfare around Jarrad Branthwaite, Tarkowski has been superb and barely put a foot wrong, holding the team together in the recent defeat to Arsenal. He also gave a special shoutout to Vitalii Mykolenko, but described Tarkowski as “immense - an invaluable free signing and a talisman through dark times.”
Beesley's view on the captain and new recruits
Beesley fully understood O’Neill’s choice, noting that Tarkowski has taken on the extra responsibility of succeeding Seamus Coleman as club captain and led by example. The skipper has been an absolute rock at the back for the Blues this term.
Beesley also highlighted Dewsbury-Hall, who arrived in August 2025 and seemingly grasped from the start what it takes to be an Everton player. He described the midfielder as an articulate presence on and off the pitch and a tenacious competitor.
However, he noted it’s been a tougher adaptation process for Thierno Barry, who joined a month before Dewsbury-Hall but took much longer to get going. Last season, Barry was the only other squad member along with Player of the Season James Garner to feature in every game, but their respective minutes on the pitch (3714 and 2066) showed how the Frenchman was deployed in a job share scheme with Beto.
Barry's breakthrough and impact
With a £40million move for USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun collapsing at the 11th hour on transfer deadline day, Barry has found himself as Everton’s only recognised striker but has thrived in the circumstances.
In 2025/26, it took him 17 matches, 737 minutes and 19 shots to break his scoring duck. While he might have the most ‘big chances missed’ in the Premier League this term, Barry has already overtaken his goals tally for the previous campaign (eight) and reached double figures in all competitions.
Evertonians will hope that the 24-year-old can continue to add to the physicality in his game. He sent a defiant message to insist nobody would stop this from being his season after his family home was burgled during the 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle United. After scoring that night, he subsequently went on to grab the match-winner in another meeting with the Magpies four days later and has followed that up with a brace against Coventry City.
