We knew from the get-go that Everton might struggle at times this season due to their small squad, and against Chelsea, it showed.
How powerless David Moyes must have felt as the Friedkin Group failed to back him in the summer transfer window. The Toffees fell by the wayside at the end of the 2025/26 Premier League season, but they came close to the promised land of European football, albeit slumping and finishing 13th.
Against Chelsea, Everton fell to their first defeat of the season, but it was a bitter one to take, with the manager frustrated at the end of an afternoon which exposed his side’s lack of options and toothlessness in attack.
What Moyes said after Chelsea defeat
Moyes reckons Everton are “a bit off it” at the moment. That’s probably a fair assessment. The Merseysiders went six unbeaten to start the league season, but drew four times and have routinely lacked bite in the final third.
Chelsea and the Toffees struggled for the ascendancy across the first half at the Hill Dickinson on Saturday, but after Pedro Neto scored the first of his two goals shortly after the break, Everton lacked any kind of fightback needed to preserve their unbeaten record.
Moyes was frustrated. He could only recall Thierno Barry‘s header as a real opportunity to get onto the scoresheet. It’s true that the Toffees are short on creativity this term, but their profligate goalscorer is making matters worse.
I’m more disappointed that we lost two goals today and we lost two at Hull. I’ll need to look to see what and I’ve got an idea of why, but it’s not really like us. Today we lacked any real chances or creativity at times. I can only really think of Thierno’s header in the first half for any chance.
It wasn’t that overall we played that badly. We just didn’t do enough and
we didn’t make any chances.
Merlin Rohl has been a solid player for Everton so far, but Moyes misplaced him on Saturday, fielding the versatile midfielder out on the right to combat left-back Pep Chavarria – the Spaniard didn’t start.
However, it’s true that Barry failed to finish his dinner, with repetitive missed changes causing groans with some regularity on Merseyside.
Why Thierno Barry is becoming so frustrating at Everton
Barry joined Everton from Villarreal for £27m last summer. He ebbed and flowed last term, but showed some potential in the final third.
However, he’s all alone up top after the events of the summer transfer window – and it’s showing for a side who can ill-afford such wastefulness.
|
Most Big Chances Missed in the Premier League (2026/27) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Goals |
Big Chances Missed |
|
Thierno Barry |
3 |
11 |
|
Gonzalo Garcia |
1 |
6 |
|
Igor Thiago |
1 |
6 |
|
Erling Haaland |
8 |
5 |
|
Bryan Mbeumo |
4 |
5 |
|
Dan Ndoye |
2 |
5 |
|
Rayan |
0 |
5 |
Those who consider Barry to not be good enough are wide of the mark. That said, Barry is also wide of the mark – far too often. By a distance, he has missed more big chances than any other player in the Premier League this season, working tirelessly and rewarded with opportunity, but fluffing his lines time and time again.
The Frenchman has missed 11 big chances already this season. His wastefulness overshadows plenty of good work, for he is hard-working and dynamic when on the prowl in attack.
Still, Kinnear and the Friedkin Group have blood on their hands, cashing in on Iliman Ndiaye and Beto without replacing either in August leaving Barry, 23 and raw, all alone at the front of the ship.
Let’s cut him a bit of slack. Barry has still scored three Premier League goals this term, with a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup too, but he’s not the only one leaving a lot to be desired – with a more senior player needing to pick himself up quickly.
Everton superstar is becoming more frustrating than Barry
Everton lack synergy and sparkle in attack right now. He’s not the only culprit, but James Garner has been noticeably out of form over the first few months of the campaign, something Moyes also commented on after the Chelsea defeat.
“Jimmy has pushed on really hard and got himself into the England squad. But he’s still got a little bit to go to get his best levels which he showed last year. He’s still a little bit off it, but we want to keep pushing him and he’s a hugely important player for us.”
£15m Garner was crowned Everton’s Player of the Season last term, rising to elite status as a top Premier League midfielder. Alas, he’s struggling for form so far this year, and it’s pegging Everton back.
The 25-year-old has come back from a hernia operation without his typical intensity and energy. He is yet to complete a dribble across seven Premier League matches, and he has only created one big chance. Last year, he created 12.
In fact, most every metric of note has suffered a downswing so far this season. It’s obvious that for a player of Garner’s importance and influence to nosedive in form is going to have ramifications on the wider fluency of this Everton side – especially after a disastrous summer transfer window which has sapped at the strength of Moyes’ squad.
Garner’s disrupted start to the season has isolated him from that remarkable level of last year – he played with the kind of gusto which should have led to an England call-up, and perhaps he is suffering from the hangover of missing out.
Nonetheless, Garner is not playing like he did last year, and that is a big part behind why Everton feel so stale in midfield and when progressing play forward this season.
