Everton's season, like their search for a manager, continues to drift as an insipid display brought a 5-1 home Europa League home thrashing by Atalanta.

There was nothing riding on the game for the already-eliminated Toffees and the visitors, who are now through to the last 32 of the Europa League, found it all too easy.

Bryan Cristante and Andreas Cornelius both struck twice and Robin Gosens got another, with Atalanta also missing a penalty.

Sandro Ramirez's first strike for the club he joined in the summer gave the hosts something to fight for when he made it 2-1, only for his side to concede three further goals.

Caretaker coach David Unsworth's evaluation of the game's importance was evident in nine changes -- retaining only Michael Keane and Jonjoe Kenny from Saturday's draw at Crystal Palace -- that saw Davy Klaassen start and Sandro in the XI for the first time since September.

The second-lowest Goodison crowd in Everton's European history -- the 17,431 beaten only by the 1,200 fewer who watched the European Cup Winners' Cup game against University College Dublin in 1984 -- endured a grim night.

Everton lacked purpose, intent and a seemingly coherent plan, while their shape could at best be described as fluid and at worst shambolic.

Exactly a month since Ronald Koeman was sacked, Unsworth's record in charge is four defeats, a win and a draw, with 15 goals conceded and six scored.

While the search for a replacement drags on, RB Leipzig's sporting director Ralf Rangnick the latest to be linked, under-23s coach Unsworth is not making much of a case for an internal appointment.

Everton's last clean sheet came in the Carabao Cup win over Sunderland on Sept. 20 and it took just 12 minutes for Atalanta to extend the wait for another.

Cuco Martina and Klaassen collided and failed to react as Timothy Castagne ran unopposed down the right, skipping past a half-hearted challenge from Keane and crossing for Cristante to shoot into an open goal.

On the half-hour, Kevin Mirallas' extra touch narrowed the angle, goalkeeper Etrit Berisha saved and Sandro blazed over as Everton briefly threatened.

That was the start of their best spell, with Tom Davies' shot headed off the line by Rafael Toloi and Mirallas drilling straight at the goalkeeper.

Normal service resumed three minutes after the break when Williams, already booked, conceded a penalty after bringing down Cristante despite replays suggesting he touched the ball.

Joel Robles saved Alejandro Gomez's spot-kick and follow-up but, after the goalkeeper had prevented Williams scoring an own goal and Kenny had headed off the line, Cristante outjumped three markers at the near post to make it 2-0.

Sandro's angled shot pulled one back with 18 minutes to go but Gosens and Cornelius put Everton out of their misery to secure Atalanta's first European away win since 1991.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by PA Sport

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