Halfway through the first half, Kone galloped down the right-hand side and supplied an inch ideal cross for Lukaku to head in via the underside of the crossbar.
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It was a sucker punch Saints failed to respond to, with James McCarthy seeing a cross-shot kept out before Tom Cleverley wasted a gilt-edged chance to score after Barkley’s initial effort was saved.
Everton head to St Mary’s on Saturday and Barry admits Southampton are now serious competition to them after finishing seventh last season but feels they have to take advantage of Saints’ involvement in Europe over the course of the campaign.
Southampton pushed for a way back into the game after the break but the Blues coped comfortably with the home side’s attacks and killed any hope of a comeback with Barkley’s late strike.
Benteke’s Liverpool will play their second game of the season tomorrow against another promoted side, Bournemouth at Anfield.
Everton team news: Baines, Hibbert, Pienaar, and Gibson are out due to injury, while McGeady, Besic and Deulofeu are doubts.
Barkley set Arouna Kone – the visitors’ only change from the opening day after his late leveller from the bench against Watford – free down the right following a Southampton corner and his superb delivery was expertly headed home by Lukaku, who was quick to acknowledge the quality of the assist.
His second, just before halftime, was even better as he barrelled forward, exchanged passes with Ross Barkley and advanced to fire a shot low into the corner. We were looking for a good start and it was a real turning point for us in the first half.
The Belgian scrambled into the stands behind the goal at St Mary’s offered his apologies to the Southampton supporter, to the acceptance of home crowd.
Matt Targett had his first ever Premier League shot on target (in the 16th minute).
The Belgian frontman has scored four goals and assisted another in his last five league games against Southampton. He scored 17 goals in 35 appearances for the Albions.
Saints have now gone eight Premier League matches without a clean sheet, conceding more than once in seven of them.
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After two games, the England prospect has already equalled his top-flight goal haul from last season (2).
