Everton 1-1 Leeds United rounded off Gameweek 23 on Monday night.

Here’s what we saw.

MOYES ON FITNESS OF BRANTHWAITE + DEWSBURY-HALL

The match saw the fit-again Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£4.9m) and Jarrad Branthwaite (£5.3m) return to action, both as half-time substitutes.

Dewsbury-Hall’s comeback is notable as he had garnered quite a bit of FPL interest before his Gameweek 16 injury. In the 14 starts he’d made before that point, he’d delivered seven attacking returns and six defensive contribution (DefCon) points. And now, of course, he’s cheaper than ever before at £4.9m.

As for Branthwaite, his availability is less about his own appeal but what it means for another Everton defender, Michael Keane (£4.7m). Keane had attracted a Fantasy following himself before his Gameweek 21 red card, thanks to his ability to variously rack up the goals, clean sheets and DefCon points.

It sounds like Dewsbury-Hall is closer to starting contention in the shorter term; Branthwaite hadn’t kicked a ball since May before Monday’s game.

“My plan was not to use Jarrad as early or Kiernan because Jarrad’s probably not played for eight months and Kiernan’s really… Kiernan’s different. He could have probably played 45 minutes, but the idea was not to. So, it wasn’t as if these boys in the bench could play; they couldn’t. But getting them back, I thought they made a big difference when they came on.” – David Moyes

Keane now returns from suspension in Gameweek 24, and may reclaim his place if Branthwaite is still building fitness. Longer term, though, there’s obviously a concern about minutes.

Could David Moyes turn to a 3-4-3/3-5-2 to accommodate both centre-halves and James Tarkowski (£5.8m)? It’s possible, as he indeed changed to a wing-back system at half-time on Monday – although that was perhaps more to counter Leeds’ own identical shape. By the 72nd minute, it was back to a back four.

GREALISH + GUDMUNDSSON INJURY UPDATES

We got post-match updates (sort of) on two players who missed out on the game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

David Moyes’ comments on Jack Grealish (£6.4m) didn’t give us much new insight.

“We’re getting closer to knowing, but no. We’re waiting on the surgeon and what he thinks is the right choice. We’re getting closer to it, and hopefully, we’ll be able to update you very shortly.” – Jack Grealish

Daniel Farke was at least more helpful with Gabriel Gudmundsson (£3.8m).

“Sadly, he’s got a little strain in his adductor, so he was always going to miss this game. We hope to have him back as quickly as possible. So, it depends on the further assessment. The initial assessment was not great – it said perhaps three to four weeks. But right now, it looks a bit brighter. So, we have a second opinion. I hope to have him back as quickly as possible so that he maximum misses one or perhaps two games but not more because obviously he’s an important player for us, although I have to say, James Justin was today on this position also excellent.” – Daniel Farke on Gabriel Gudmundsson

FOUR GOALS IN FIVE MATCHES FOR BARRY

Thierno Barry (£5.7m) is behind only Igor Thiago (£7.2m) for FPL ‘form’ among FPL forwards, i.e. points per match over the last 30 days.

The young striker’s fourth goal in five Gameweeks for the Toffees continued his revival after a disappointing start to life in England.

As Moyes pointed out, this is a young man in a foreign country trying to find his way – and it sounds like he’s starting to settle a bit more now.

“He’s a young French under-21 international trying to find his way. His English was okay [when he arrived] but not great. I think he’s just really beginning to get settled in and getting used to the whole club, the sort of way the whole Premier League works, what’s expected, the intensity of the league. He’s getting used to the work levels which you’re having to put in and coming from that is that he’s getting himself a few goals with it as well. And obviously, if you bring a number nine in, you want him to score. So, he’s just beginning to get a few goals, but we need to try and create some more chances so that he can maybe get a few more.

“His training is getting better. His levels are improving. We’re seeing that, which is pleasing for us. But I think that’s also coming from just getting settled in and getting used to what’s expected most weeks and the intensity of the Premier League.” – David Moyes on Thierno Barry

His near-post run for his goal on Monday was that of a seasoned goalscorer, while his earlier attempted ‘trivela’ suggested a striker playing with a bit more confidence.

Thierno Barry with the trivela 💫

But @LUFC's Karl Darlow made the stop in style ⛔️ pic.twitter.com/RTfuFsjUpz

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 27, 2026

CALVERT-LEWIN CLOSE

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) couldn’t punish his former employers but he couldn’t have come much closer. Denied an early strike when Jordan Pickford (£5.6m) advanced to block his goalbound prod, he then somehow shot against the post from inside the six-yard box with the goal at his mercy.

Above: Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s two shots, both ‘big chances’, on Monday night

To rub salt into the wounds, the striker stepped over Anton Stach‘s (£4.9m) 28th-minute cross, a delivery that went all the way through to James Justin (£3.9m) to score. Some owners were convinced Calvert-Lewin had touched the ball en route to Justin; Opta disagreed.

Stach, incidentally, has now returned something (goal, assist, DefCon points) in nine of his last 11 Premier League appearances. Back on corners, the joint-leading FPL midfielder for chances created over the last six Gameweeks (14), and now operating further forward as one of the ‘dual 10s’ in Farke’s 3-4-2-1, he’s quietly going about his business.

LEEDS – NO PUSHOVERS FOR ARSENAL?

Leeds’ excellent recent results continued. In just one of their last 10 Premier League matches have they tasted defeat – and even that should have been avoided thanks to a late Lucas Perri (£4.5m) rick.

They conceded one or fewer goals in nine of the above 11 matches, too.

Not such an easy fixture for Arsenal in Gameweek 24, then, especially as it’s at Elland Road?

DEFCON DELIVERERS

Finally, a look at the eight players banking DefCon points on Monday. Six of them are on the Leeds books, while there’s no surprise to see Tarkowski there for the seventh Gameweek in a row:

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