Thierno Barry was the star of the show as Everton cruised into the third round of the Carabao Cup with a convincing 4-0 triumph over Preston North End at Deepdale. The French forward not only found the back of the net three times, but also provided the assist for the other goal, showcasing a complete performance that left the visitors struggling to keep pace. Barry’s strike rate this season is already impressive.
He has scored eight goals in 41 appearances during the 2025/26 campaign, and after netting his first league goal in Saturday’s Premier League victory over Crystal Palace, he is already halfway to that tally despite having played 38 matches fewer. His hat‑trick against Preston therefore underlines his growing importance to the Toffees, who have not progressed beyond the third round of the cup since the 2023/24 season.
With this win, Everton have been drawn against Wolverhampton Wanderers for the next stage. From the opening whistle, Everton imposed their rhythm.
Their passing was crisp, the press high, and they dominated possession, creating a torrent of chances. Preston, who have already dropped two points from two games in the Sky Bet Championship, struggled to generate quality opportunities of their own.
The early exchanges were largely one‑sided, with the Toffees dictating the tempo and the home side finding it difficult to retain the ball under pressure. The breakthrough arrived on the tenth attempt. Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall floated a ball into the left flank, where Vitalii Mykolenko collected it and slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Barry. The striker took a touch and slotted the ball home with a tidy finish, giving Everton a deserved lead.
The goal sparked a brief surge of optimism among the Preston supporters, who hoped the floodgates might open. However, the home side could not capitalize on the momentum, and the first half ended with Everton firmly in control.
Just before the hour‑mark, Barry struck again. He timed his run into the box impeccably, received a cross, and calmly directed the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. This second goal effectively dampened any hopes of a Preston comeback and put the match beyond their reach. Barry’s composure in front of goal was evident as he completed his hat‑trick with a simple finish shortly after the break, sealing Everton’s passage to the next round with roughly twenty minutes still to play.
The fourth goal came from newly‑signed Welsh forward Brennan Johnson. Having arrived from Crystal Palace earlier in the month, Johnson celebrated his first goal since November 2025, adding a further layer of confidence to his integration into the squad. His finish capped a dominant display and underscored the depth of Everton’s attacking options. Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom expressed his frustration in a post‑match interview on Sky Sports Football.
He lamented that the team had been on the verge of making a substitution when Barry’s second goal arrived, saying, “It’s just frustrating – we were about to bring on the subs and they scored the second goal as we had them all lined up. It just changed the game.” Heckingbottom also highlighted the difficulty of protecting a defence that lacks attacking support, noting that the club’s bench is stocked primarily with defenders, a few midfielders, wing‑backs and young prospects, leaving them short on creative options.
Everton’s manager David Moyes was pleased with the result, describing the performance as more comfortable than he had anticipated. “It ended up being a little bit more comfortable than I thought it might have been before the game, but it’s a really good result for us,” Moyes said.
He praised his side’s overall play, while also acknowledging that the first half could have been finished off more efficiently. “I thought we played well at times and our football was quite good, but we need to finish things off a bit better in the first half than we did, but I’m really pleased we scored four goals,” he added. Moyes also spoke about Barry’s development, recalling a conversation from the end of the previous season. “I told him he has to do a lot better than he did before.
That’s it. We want centre‑forwards to score goals. It’s not easy for anyone coming into the Premier League in their first season, especially centre‑forwards.
He’ll learn a lot more, he’ll see a lot more and he’s come in with a much better attitude generally, so whoever’s working with him is doing a good job,” Moyes explained. Regarding Johnson, Moyes noted the need to rediscover the form that made him a prolific scorer at Tottenham. “We want to find what he did at Tottenham when he was scoring all those goals. His assist tonight was brilliant and his finish as well.
People who have watched Brennan over the years will tell you that this looks a bit more like him. We don’t want to bring him on too quickly, but he’s done well tonight,” the manager said. Overall, Everton’s comprehensive victory not only secured progression in the Carabao Cup but also highlighted the emerging partnership between Barry and Johnson, two forwards who could prove pivotal as the season unfolds. With a challenging tie against Wolves looming, the Toffees will look to build on this performance, fine‑tune their attacking cohesion, and continue to press for success in both cup and league competitions.