Roberto Martinez, under pressure and desperate to show he is still the right man for the job, would have hoped his Everton players would give him some breathing space with an impressive showing against their biggest rivals Liverpool on Wednesday. Instead, Everton imploded and that allowed Liverpool to explode to a 4-0 victory in the English Premier League.
After taking a 2-0 lead into halftime, thanks to two late first half goals from Divock Origi and Mamadou Sakho, Everton pressed the self-destruct button early in the second half, with Ramiro Funes Mori seeing red for an awful challenge. Liverpool duly took advantage as Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho scored to give the home team an authoritative win.
The first goal came in the 43rd minute, as Everton went to sleep from a throw-in. James Milner looped in a cross from the Liverpool right, and with Joel Robles deciding to stay on his line instead of trying to come out and punch the ball, Origi climbed above the static John Stones to head in.
A 1-0 deficit would not have been too bad for Everton, who, again looked threatening on the break, but woefully disjointed in defence. But, it got worse for them just before halftime as a raucous Anfield crowd were treated to a nicely-worked goal from Jurgen Klopp's men.
Milner was the creator again, exchanging passes with Adam Lallana, before crossing, this time from the left, for an unmarked Sakho to head home.
An early goal please would have been the crux of Martinez's halftime speech, but the chances of that early goal vanished in a hurry when Funes Mori decided to go in for a studs up, over the top challenge on Origi, who had to be carried off on a stretcher. Robert Madley, the referee, showed a straight red card and from there it was the Reds who took complete charge.
Sturridge made it 3-0 for his 50th Liverpool goal, as an Everton in defensive crisis, through lack of personnel and organisation, let in another, via Coutinho to end a torrid night.
Now, if Everton do not come out smiling from the semifinal against Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday, Martinez's days as the manager could be at an end. For Klopp, though, this was another morale-boosting performance and victory before the Europa League semifinal challenge against Villarreal.
