With the 2025-26 campaign done and dusted, we are into our season review series with a look at the strikers and how they did this season.
All data is from FotMob.
The No.9 shirt at Everton is the club’s most famous.
With names such as Dixie Dean, Tommy Lawton, Dave Hickson, Alex Young, Joe Royle and Graeme Sharp all achieving legendary status while wearing that number on the back of their Royal Blue jersey, whoever wears that shirt has enormous shoes to fill.
Since the Premier League era the concept
of players wearing one to eleven as they take to the field has become more and more obsolete in terms of numbers reflecting positions, but that number still holds massive importance to Evertonians, many of whom feel they have been starved of a goalscoring machine since the days of Romelu Lukaku, although the Belgian never actually wore the No.9 during his tenure on Merseyside.
Goalscoring responsibilities this season fell on the dependable Beto and new signing Thierno Barry, with David Moyes often alternating between the two for that solitary starting role.
And with 47 goals plundered in 38 games, how did our forwards fare during the 2025/26 season.
Beto
G – 37 Min – 1,565 Gls – 9 Ast – 1 YC – 3
If application and attitude were measures of ability then the Guinea-Bissau international would be one of the most sought after strikers in football. The 28-year-old is a hugely popular figure on Merseyside, and loves playing for Everton, often stating his honour at performing in front of the fans.
However nine goals this season (eight in the league) for the Toffees is form that will never guarantee the status of of main man up front for a team that should be pushing for Europe and, for a long time this season, had qualification in it sights.
The physical Beto will always ask questions of defenders, but is a forward who is a slow starter. After scoring in consecutive games against Mansfield Town and Wolves in August, the Portugal-born star didn’t find the net again until January with a goal that was little more than consolation against Brentford.
Form did pick up for the former Udinese star towards the end of the season, with goals away at Newcastle, Brentford, as well as a sublime run finish at Crystal Palace, which showed glimpses of the ability Beto does possess.
But it was against Chelsea at Hill Dickinson in March that was his greatest performance of this season, with two goals and a performance that was worthy of that sacred No.9 shirt.
It must be noted though, of all of Beto’s appearance for Everton this season he only completed two games in their entirety, and the lack of attacking full-backs and the club failing to address their winger issues will have hampered a player that enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last man and a player with a lot of heading ability.
Grade: C – (10/10 for effort, but will always struggle to be Everton’s main man for goals)
Thierno Barry
G – 38 Min – 1,915 Gls – 8 Ast – 0 YC – 3
If the 23-year-0ld had the same application and attitude as Beto, then the former Villareal man may have better endeared himself to the Everton faithful.
That being said, many players struggle to settle in their first season in English football and the France U-21 international has been open and honest about his difficulties this campaign, while also being the victim of some unnecessary online abuse, which is never ok.
However, Barry has not covered himself in glory in the world of social media, and his ill-advised posts regarding the trouble in the Everton end when the Toffees travelled to Arsenal will have done little to adhere himself to the fanbase.
To matters on the pitch and the 6’5” forward has often been criticised for his body language and perceived lack of effort, with Moyes himself demanding more from his summer signing.
While he is not the physically imposing forward Beto is, there is no question that Barry knows how to finish, and a return of eight goals does represent at least some potential, although it took the former Basel star until December to score his first goal, with VAR thwarting him on two previous occasions.
Achieving 90 minutes three times this season, Barry did enjoy a return of three goals in January, and four in six over that period, included a wonderful finish that proved to be the winner at Villa Park.
Form and minutes did wane for March and half of April, although a brace from the bench against Manchester City at home in early May showed that there is maybe more to come from the young marksmen, particularly if the full-back and winger issues are addressed in the summer.
Grade: D (Definite ability, but a disappointing attitude more often than not)
