Everton beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
David Moyes gave home debuts to new signings Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish and Thierno Barry.
Grealish stole the headlines with his two assists, whilst Dewsbury-Hall’s energy and attacking quality were there to see.
Barry, like all strikers, are mainly judged on goals, and although he didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet, there were a lot of encouraging signs.
Here’s what Everton fans made of his first start for the club.
How Everton fans reacted to Thierno Barry’s full debut vs Brighton
Everton fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to Barry’s performance in the 2-0 win against the Seagulls.
“Barry hugely promising on the basis of this performance. Someone to build around, works hard, holds it up much better than Beto,” @Garybalde1980 posted.
@ParrettGost said: “Thierno Barry quietly having a great game. Involved in everything, winning aerials. Love to see it.”
“Thierno Barry is miles better than Beto,” @Evertxn commented.
@dlo2411 noted: “What a goal from Garner! Great job by the young man Thierno Barry to time his run perfectly to set this all up.”
Thierno Barry excellent in the air
Barry didn’t get much service today, but his hold-up play was excellent, and he won a whopping six aerial duels.
Having that focal point allowed Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye to play off the towering centre-forward, which made a massive difference.
Beto, whilst he is a tall and physical striker, isn’t great at linking up, as he much prefers to use his pace and get in behind.
So, going forward, it looks like Beto would be much better at coming off the bench against tiring legs and stretching defenders, rather than starting.
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