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Monday night's Premier League tie ended in a stalemate, as Everton were held to a 1-1 draw by high-flying Sunderland. And manager David Moyes has a clear problem to address if he wants to take the Merseysiders to the next level. The visitors made a bright start on the night, with James Garner nearly opening the scoring in a matter of seconds. And the Toffees did then take the lead through Iliman Ndiaye, as he weaved through the Sunderland defenders before then slotting the ball beyond Robin Roefs. But the Black Cats steadily grew into the game, posing a regular threat to Jordan Pickford's goal. Regis le Bris' team levelled proceedings shortly after the break thanks to a wonderstrike from Granit Xhaka and put their opponents under sustained pressure for much of the second half. Everton's Strikers Go Missing vs Sunderland While they had bright moments, chances came at a premium for Everton at the Stadium of Light. Although they are blessed with talented players across the pitch, including Ndiaye and Jack Grealish, it's no secret that they have lacked real threat up front in 2025/26. Beto has struggled for form, scoring just once in his last nine league games and Moyes had been urged to drop the 27-year-old prior to Monday night's match. The Scottish manager obliged — out went Beto, and into the team came Thierno Barry, signed for £27m from Villarreal in the summer. It was only his second start of the season, but the France under-21 international really struggled to make an impact on proceedings. Although he kept himself busy throughout the game, he squandered a huge chance in the first half to double Everton's lead. Check Out Barry's Miss Below: As his influence on proceedings gradually decreased, Moyes felt a change was necessary. Barry was taken off for Beto, as Everton went in search of a winner. But Portuguese international was arguably even less effective than his teammate. The Toffees couldn't fashion much of real note from open play, but their substitute striker really didn't give them much to play off, with their £26m striker managing just nine touches in his 33-minute cameo. That sentiment was shared by Jamie Carragher, who was far from complementary about both forwards during Sky Sports' coverage of the game. The former Liverpool defender said: "I say this a lot — both of them play better when they don't play. It makes you think that they're better and then you put the other one in for the next game." "The big thing for Everton this season is to not be involved in a relegation scrap," he continued. "They've got Fulham at the weekend, before the international break. It's an important game to win, or definitely not to lose. "I'm not saying that Everton will go down, but they don't want to be looking over their shoulder. Everton need to find a striker. What they have right now is not good enough and that reason alone could mean that they're looking over their shoulder between now and the end of the season." Ndiaye Could Offer Temporary Striker Fix It's obvious where Everton need to strengthen when the January transfer window opens, and they have already been linked with a few different names. Richarlison has been touted for a potential move back to the club, having scored 53 times in 152 games during his first stint. But in the meantime, Moyes needs to look at alternative options to both Barry and Beto, as neither look to be an effective option up top. In the past, there have been calls to play Ndiaye centrally, given how effective he's been in front of goal since arriving at the club in 2024. While not ideal, considering how good the Senegal international has been cutting in from the wings, it would offer a temporary solution that would tie Everton over until they could bring in a more natural option. Moyes' team are hardly firing on all cylinders right now, and persisting with their current strikers only seems like it will do more harm than good.
