Tarkowski hails Newcastle win: "Our best performance of the season"

Everton's James Tarkowski said his side produced their best performance of the season following the 1-0 win over Newcastle United.

Just a few days after knocking Newcastle out of the League Cup, Everton returned to St James' Park and came away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Thierno Barry.

Barry, who had failed to convert a clear chance in the first half, pounced from close range after Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek spilled a shot from Tyrique George, earning his side the three points.

Barry (8), who trails only Erling Haaland (13) among Premier League players for goals in all competitions this season, has scored both of his two league goals against Newcastle at St James' Park.

Ahead of Friday's league match against Coventry City, Tarkowski praised Barry's never-say-die character and said:

"I think that was by far our best performance of the season. We were brilliant in the first half and could have scored two or three goals. Thierno got the goal for us once again. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, he's the only genuine striker in the squad and hopefully he keeps scoring goals like that. He can be really hard on himself at times, but his running distances and numbers are through the roof. Not conceding is massively important for us. It's a long season. We're taking it game by game, but the feeling tonight is great and now we can focus on Friday's game."

Since David Moyes returned to Everton in January 2025, only Arsenal (31) and Manchester City (28) have kept more Premier League clean sheets than the Toffees (20).

Having won all three matches against Newcastle in all competitions in 2026, Everton have now matched their win tally from the previous 12 meetings (3 wins, 3 draws, 6 defeats). Head coach David Moyes also praised his players' work rate.

Describing his side's display for much of the match as one of their best, Moyes said: "We had the clearer chances in the first half. Not taking them made it difficult, but getting the first goal was crucial. I'm always incredibly proud of my team because the effort they put in is beyond question. We don't have a very big squad, but they're doing a fantastic job and hopefully that continues. Nobody likes playing the same team twice in such a short space of time, so winning both of those two games meant a great deal to us. We want to get back up towards the top of the table, and the race is incredibly tight."