Everton produced a second-half comeback to seal a win over Coventry City.
The visitors took the lead shortly after the interval when Yann Goboho’s shot squirmed under Jordan Pickford as he was teed up by Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
But the Blues responded just a matter of minutes later through Thierno Barry meeting Vitalii Mykolenko’s left-sided delivery with a downward header.
Barry was soon doubling his and the hosts’ tally by connecting with a far-post cross from Tyrique George to send the ball bobbling into the South Stand net.
The French forward later added an assist by releasing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall before the playmaker scored a third in sublime fashion from a narrow angle.
David Moyes’ side moved up to fifth in the Premier League table ahead of 2026’s final international break with victory over predecessor Frank Lampard.
Here were the key talking points from Hill Dickinson Stadium:
Blues gripped by night fever again
There is currently something special about Everton playing under the lights.
Halogen rays tinged some of David Moyes’ seminal moments during his first spell as manager, and it appears that night fever is back with a vengeance.
Fresh from back-to-back wins over Newcastle in four days, the Scot was seeking a fitting follow-up in a history-equalling 592nd outing at the helm.
His side initially failed to meet the occasion as he drew level with the great Harry Catterick, but delivered a stirring response after shipping the opener.
Once the Blues’ muscle memory kicked in, however, there was plenty to get supporters back on side; not least Thierno Barry’s continued renaissance.
The French forward has now hit double figures in all competitions and is becoming a symbol of his club’s continued ability to punch above its weight.
Few would have bet on him sitting behind Erling Haaland in the goal scoring charts, nor Everton’s paper-thin squad being in the conversation for Europe.
Yet Moyes’ ability to do more with less, assisted by some floodlit fervour, has provided fresh reasons to believe that this season might be different after all.
KDH shows what Tuchel missed
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall began Friday with disappointment after missing out on a place in the latest England squad for this month’s Nations League fixtures.
The playmaker found himself overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for his side’s showdowns with Croatia and Spain despite enjoying resurgent form.
He wasn’t the only snub in the Three Lions’ selections, with Cole Palmer, Kobbie Mainoo and Noni Madueke also failing to make the 25-man cut.
Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham and Josh King of Fulham were instead handed maiden senior international call-ups at the expense of the quartet.
But Dewsbury-Hall could be forgiven for feeling most aggrieved by his omission after Tuchel conceded he had been ‘very close’ to earning a spot.
The 28-year-old certainly put the national team boss on notice with another slow-burning yet ultimately resounding display against the newcomers.
He struggled to dictate the play before the interval but was quick to turn on the style thereafter and rewarded with a ruthless strike from an acute angle.
In this form, it’s only a matter of time before Dewsbury-Hall’s Everton best is finally deemed good enough to join his teammates on the international stage.
Lampard finally gets his flowers
On an evening when Moyes was making Everton history, it was highly fitting that it came against another manager who occupies his own special place.
Frank Lampard lasted barely 12 months at the helm on Merseyside but is still highly regarded for his body work in what was an undeniably chaotic period.
The decorated ex-midfielder memorably staved off a potential first relegation in 68 years and attempted to put the club on a firmer footing than previously.
He may have failed in the latter yet the impressive stadium which Lampard led his Coventry side into on Friday is proof that his efforts were not in vain.
Lampard became a unifying force for supporters at a time of growing financial pressures that left the move to Bramley-Moore Dock teetering on the brink.
That Everton finally settled into their current waterfront home is in no small part to the efforts he undertook against a backdrop of crippling uncertainty.
The sight of him patrolling the technical area, albeit for the opposition, was a warming one for Evertonians who felt he was the right man at the wrong time.
A chance to lead their team out by the banks of the Mersey was denied to him by circumstances beyond his control but Lampard finally received his flowers.