Lyon 3-0 Everton

Gylfi Sigurdsson played in a number nine role for an hour of the match

Ten-man Everton were knocked out of the Europa League with defeat at Lyon as David Unsworth's hopes of being made their permanent manager were dealt a further blow.

The defeat coupled with Atalanta's 1-1 draw against Apollon Limassol means the Toffees cannot progress from the group stage with two matches remaining.

Unsworth, who was promoted from the club's academy to become caretaker boss after the sacking of Ronald Koeman, has now lost all three games he has overseen.

Former Chelsea player Bertrand Traore opened the scoring in the 68th minute when he outpaced the Everton backline and slotted past Jordan Pickford.

Their second came 14 minutes from time when substitute Houssem Aouar threaded his shot past the reach of the England goalkeeper, who was already spread out on the turf having saved from Mariano Diaz in the build-up.

It went from bad to worse for the visitors when they were reduced to 10 men after Morgan Schneiderlin received a second yellow for a foul on Maxwel Cornet.

And with two minutes remaining former Manchester United midfielder Memphis Depay, who set up the strike for Aouar, applied the final blow when he headed in the third from six yards.

Earlier in the match, Everton full-back Cuco Martina was taken off in a neck brace having fallen awkwardly in a challenge with Cornet.

• Everton's Martina taken to hospital with neck injury

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Sigurdsson experiment puzzling

Unsworth, believed to have four matches to stake his claim for the full-time job, opted to start with no recognised striker, so former Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson was tasked with what at first seemed a 'false nine' role but turned out to be an out-and-out target man.

The Iceland international neither managed to run behind the Lyon backline nor did he manage success with holding up the ball to bring his team-mates into play. It was a frustrating night for the £45m summer signing.

The experiment was halted in the 60th minute when forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin was brought on and Sigurdsson dropped back.

Once back in his more familiar number 10 role he looked more comfortable, and had Everton's best chance when he curled a shot fractionally wide of keeper Anthony Lopes' upright.

What's next for Everton?

Former defender David Unsworth had two spells with Everton as a player

From high hopes at the start of the season to dismal despair.

The club, with the backing of new major shareholder Farhad Moshiri, spent more than £150m on players in the summer, but are now without a manager after the sacking of Koeman, who joined from Southampton in June 2016.

But they are now without a manager, third from the bottom in the Premier League and out of Europe after suffering the ignominy of being the first English side to not win any of their first four games of a Europa League campaign.

They have also lost five games in a row in all competitions for the first time in 12 years.

Martina injury concern for Everton

There was some positive news for Everton later on Thursday when full-back Martina, injured near the end of the first half when jumping behind Cornet to meet a high ball, was released from hospital.

The 28-year-old received on-pitch treatment for more than five minutes before he was taken off on a cart with his neck in a brace.

Unsworth said: "Cuco was concussed and was complaining of pains down his neck."

But the club later announced that the Curacao defender would be returning to England with the rest of the squad.

Man of the match - Bertrand Traore (Lyon)

The former Chelsea man was outstanding in attack and set Lyon on their way with his goal

Everton leaky once again - the stats

• The Toffees are the first English side to not win any of their first four games of a Europa League campaign (D1 L3).

• This was the biggest defeat for an English team against French opposition in Europe since October 1997 (Strasbourg 3-0 Liverpool in the Uefa Cup).

• It was also Lyon's first home victory against English opposition in Europe since November 1967, when they beat Tottenham 1-0 in the Cup Winners' Cup.

• Everton have now conceded in 15 of their last 16 games in all competitions, with the only clean sheet in this run coming against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup (3-0).

• Schneiderlin is the only Premier League player to have been sent off more than once across all competitions in 2017/18 (also v Man City).

• Everton failed to register a shot on target in the first half, yet had their only one of the game within the opening minute of the second half.

'We can't cave in' - what they said

Everton caretaker manager David Unsworth: "I'm really disappointed with the result. For nearly 70 minutes we were nearly perfect with our gameplan and created a couple of opportunities that we could and should have scored.

"The effort and commitment was there. In periods we showed some nice touches and created a couple of opportunities against a very good Lyon team.

"But we just can't cave in the way we do when we concede a goal. That's something that we need to rectify very, very quickly."