Dewsbury-Hall responds to England snub as Everton come from behind to beat Coventry
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a thunderous goal and Thierno Barry added a quick double as Everton recovered from a first-half deficit to beat Coventry City 3-1 at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Friday night in a Premier League fixture.
Dewsbury-Hall endured a disappointing start to his matchday after learning he had been overlooked by England manager Thomas Tuchel for this month's Nations League squad, with Borussia Dortmund teenager Jobe Bellingham selected instead, but the 28-year-old said afterwards he channelled that feeling into his performance. "It was a disappointing morning, I'm not going to lie. It's a massive dream of mine to play for my country. I know I was close," Dewsbury-Hall told Sky Sports, adding: "[I'm] sad, yeah, but really proud of myself and how I have reacted. All I can keep doing is putting in good performances and hopefully one day I get the nod, because I'm never going to give up." Tuchel said on Friday afternoon that Dewsbury-Hall had been "very close" to earning a place in his squad, having enjoyed "a very good season" with Everton so far.
Dewsbury-Hall's route to this point included a late Premier League debut for Leicester City at 22, loan spells with Luton Town and Blackpool, and involvement in Leicester's promotion campaign under Enzo Maresca before following Maresca to Chelsea in a £30m transfer. He struggled for regular minutes at Chelsea, featuring mainly in cup competitions, and then moved to Everton from Chelsea in August 2025, where he has since rebuilt his position in the top flight.
On the night, Everton overturned Coventry's lead early in the second half when Thierno Barry struck twice inside five minutes to put the hosts ahead, with Dewsbury-Hall later adding a powerful finish that helped secure back-to-back Premier League victories. The win moved Everton up the table to fifth place.
Barry, the 24-year-old former Basel and Villarreal forward, took his season total to 10 goals across all competitions with his brace, surpassing the eight he scored last season, and only Erling Haaland, on 14 in all competitions for David Moyes' side, has a higher tally. Barry said of his celebrations: "I was on TikTok yesterday and I saw an NFL guy do the celebration. I said to Tyrique [George] that if we scored tomorrow, we would do the dance like that, but I think he was shy to do it, so I did the dance alone." On his goalscoring inspiration, Barry added: "I'm very happy because I'm a fan of him. I watch a lot of videos of him and try and do the things he does. If I can play with him until the end to get the Golden Boot, I will try."
Dewsbury-Hall outlined his enjoyment of his role at Everton, saying: "I'm really, really enjoying it. I've got a really good hybrid role in this team, where the gaffer is giving me the freedom to pop up all over the pitch." He also emphasised his mindset: "I've got the mentality," he added. Since the start of last season, Dewsbury-Hall has scored 11 goals for Everton in the Premier League and provided seven assists.
The match also marked a managerial milestone for David Moyes, who equalled Harry Catterick's record for the most games as Everton manager, reaching 592 matches, with Catterick having managed the club from 1961 to 1973. "I am proud," Moyes wrote in Everton's match programme. "The thought of being the Everton manager who has managed the most games is something I'm very proud of. Everton has been huge for me and my family. My son David has gone everywhere and my father has lived it with us as well, watching it all. That's so important. What is also so important is that I'll always try to do the right thing for Everton Football Club."
The wait until the next international break in March will now be the next opportunity for Dewsbury-Hall to force his way back into England consideration after missing this month's squad, while Everton take confidence from the victory that lifted them to fifth in the Premier League table.
