James Tarkowski said Everton delivered their “best performance of the season” as they secured a 1-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Thierno Barry scored the only goal of the game, tapping in from close range after Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek could not hold Tyrique George’s shot.
The result came only days after Everton had knocked Newcastle out of the EFL Cup. Barry had missed a clear opportunity in the first half but recovered to score the winner.
Only Erling Haaland, with 13 goals, has scored more than Barry’s eight among Premier League players in all competitions this season. Both of Barry’s league goals against Newcastle have come at St. James’ Park.
Tarkowski praised the striker’s response to his earlier miss, with Everton now preparing for Friday’s league match against Coventry City.
“I think it was probably our best performance of the season, I thought we were terrific in the first half and could have scored two or three,” Tarkowski told Sky Sports.
“Thierno gets the goal again for us. There’s a lot on his shoulders, he’s our only recognised striker so hopefully he can keep putting the ball in the net like he has done. He’s harsh on himself but his numbers are through the roof in terms of running.
“A clean sheet is massive for us. It’s a long old season. We take it game by game but tonight feels good and we can look forward to Friday [against Coventry].”
Everton’s defensive record has improved significantly since David Moyes returned to the club in January 2025. Only Arsenal, with 31 clean sheets, and Manchester City, with 28, have kept more in the Premier League during that period than Everton’s 20.
The Toffees have now beaten Newcastle in all three of their meetings in 2026. That equals the number of victories Everton managed in their previous 12 encounters, during which they drew three and lost six.
Moyes also praised his players’ effort after they completed back-to-back wins against the same opponents.
“[For] lots of the game it was [one of our best performances],” said Moyes.
“We probably had better chances in the first half. [Not taking them] kept it really difficult. Getting the first goal was important.
“Incredibly proud of the team all the time because their effort is unquestionable. There’s not a lot of them but they’re doing a great job and hope it continues.
“I don’t think anyone enjoys playing the same team twice so quickly. So for us to win both is hugely important for us. We want to get back to the top end of the league. it’s incredibly tight.”
