David Unsworth's torrid time as caretaker continues as Lyon dump 10-man Everton out of Europe
Olympique Lyonnais 3 Everton 0: Bertrand Traore, Houssem Aouar and Memphis Depay were all on mark for the hosts
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Your support makes all the difference.David Unsworth would have felt heavy breathing down his neck following the defeat, and subsequent European exit, to Olympique Lyonnais tonight, but whether is it the breath of chairman Bill Kenwright, managerial-favourite Sean Dyche, or even Sam “I’d consider it” Allardyce, is yet to be seen.
Despite having the backing of key senior players to take the reins until the end of the season, three defeats in three, with two of them signalling cup exits, have only worked to persuade the powers that be that Unsworth is more capable elevating talent to the first team, rather than managing it.
Bertrand Traore, who scored the decisive goal in the first game, was the man to further suggest this would be the caretaker boss’ penultimate game in the dugout before Houssem Aouar doubled the lead soon after.
Memphis Depay wrapped it up with a third while a dreary night in France was rounded off when one of the natives, Morgan Schneiderlin, was shown his second yellow card for a lazy kick, leaving Everton out of the Europa League – the second competition they have been knocked out of since Ronald Koeman’s sacking.
Considering Unsworth was managing for the job he covets most, there were more than a few eyebrows raised at an Everton teamsheet comprising of three right-backs and no strikers, with key players such as Wayne Rooney, Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines left back on Merseyside.
And the perils of playing a right-back on the left, as Unsworth did with Cuco Martina, was evident as early as the seventh minute, when he was turned all too easily and gave away an early and unnecessary yellow card.
The crowd at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais was far from full but they were loud. And among the plethora of jeers for the visitors, the loudest boos and hisses were reserved for Ashley Williams following his instigation of a 22-player – and one fan – brawl at Goodison two weeks ago.
In truth, the line-up showed just how important Sunday’s Bonfire Night fixture with Watford is to Unsworth’s job prospects, with their Europa League chances looking even slimmer than the ideal waistline for a Premier League manager in the eyes of Joey Barton.
Lyon started the stronger and the hosts sprang into life with Depay’s cross finding the head of Bertrand Traore, who was stopped brilliantly by Jordan Pickford before Nabil Fekir’s low shot-cum-cross from the rebound evaded everyone as it flew across the six-yard box.
Fekir came close again just before the half-hour mark when former Manchester United defender Rafael again exposed that weakness down Everton’s left and whipped in a cross for the Lyon captain to thump over the bar.
That exploitation of the left was halted for a lengthy period after Martina landed awkwardly, though, with concerning replays appearing to show him to be knocked unconscious, and he eventually left the pitch in a neck brace.
Everton’s season was summed up perfectly on the stroke of half-time, when Pickford came rushing out only for Williams to clear the ball in front of him and both men colliding, with the goalkeeper landing on his head and the Welshman with a dead leg.
Gylfi Sigurdsson came within inches of snatching the lead only for Traore to go straight down the other end and open the scoring. Schneiderlin’s slide tackle on Tanguy Ndombele fell straight into the former Chelsea man’s path before he rounded Pickford with one touch before finishing into an empty net with the next for his second in two games against Everton.
And it was two just seven minutes later when, in the 75th minute, substitute Aouar curled the ball into the bottom corner after good work from Depay to find him on the edge of the area, leaving the ground to draw in that little closer on Unsworth.
There was still time for yet more disappointment and, given the kick, frustration, as Schneiderlin received his marching orders for a poor foul on Maxwel Cornet.
Then Depay really rubbed salt in the wounds with his 88th-minute header to condemn Unsworth to his worst loss in charge.
Captain-for-the-night Williams spoke in the pre-match press conference how it was the Everton players who were to blame for Koeman’s sacking, a man they all admired, and their performances have hardly picked up under Unsworth, a man they all want to replace him with. It leaves you questioning how low will results stoop if a manager is appointed who they don’t like?
Olympique Lyonnais: Lopes; Rafael, Marcelo, Diakhaby, Mendy; Tousart, Ndombele, Cornet, Fekir, Depay, Traore.
Subs: Gorgelin, Aouar, Diaz, Ferri, Morel, Marcal, Tete.
Everton: Pickford; Kenny, Martina, Williams, Holgate; Schneiderlin, Baningime, Gueye, Lennon; Lookman, Sigurdsson.
Subs: Robles, Mirallas, Klaassen, Besic, Vlasic, Calvert-Lewin, Feeney.
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