Thierno Barry sends 'this season needs to be mine' message after maiden Everton hat-trick in 4-0 Carabao Cup rout

Dominant Toffees dismantle Preston

Everton cruised into the third round of the Carabao Cup with an emphatic performance at Deepdale. Barry opened the scoring after 25 minutes, added a second before the hour mark, and sealed his maiden hat-trick with 20 minutes remaining. Summer signing Brennan Johnson then capped the 4-0 rout just two minutes later, opening his account for the club.

Barry targets breakout season

The French forward, who arrived from Villarreal in the summer of 2025, is determined to establish himself as a prolific focal point after managing eight goals in 41 appearances across all competitions last term. Speaking to Sky Sports about his personal targets, Barry said: "I say this season needs to be mine. I try a lot this summer for that so I'm very happy to score my first hat-trick with Everton. I work a lot for that, I'm very happy, my team-mates helped me a lot also."

Moyes challenges young forward

The treble made Barry the first Everton player to score a hat-trick since Dominic Calvert-Lewin achieved the feat against West Ham in September 2020. Assessing the striker's progression, Moyes added: "I told him he has to do a lot better than he did before, that's it. We want goalscorers, we want centre forwards to score goals and he's got some.

Wolves cup clash awaits

Everton now prepare to host Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison Park in the Carabao Cup third round. Barry's sharp form, having also scored in the weekend win over Crystal Palace, provides a timely boost for Moyes ahead of a congested domestic schedule. Sustaining that clinical edge in the final third will be vital as the Toffees look to climb the league table before the international break.