ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Everton 4, Wigan Athletic 0
WIGAN WENT Awol en masse as Everton sauntered to their biggest victory of the season, but do not mistake their vanishing act for a show of solidarity for Amr Zaki. Steve Bruce branded the Egyptian the most unprofessional player he has ever encountered last week and renewed his attack on the absent striker venomously at Goodison Park yesterday.
The rest, he just about excused. European qualification is beckoning for David Moyes’ resourceful side, with Jo and Marouane Fellaini forming a potent partnership for the FA Cup semi-finalists. But it is the gulag that awaits Zaki should he decide to grace the JJB Stadium with his presence again. A week after apparently injuring a hamstring in a World Cup qualifier, Wigan’s leading goalscorer is still to inform Bruce of his whereabouts.
Wigan were anaemic in his absence and, their manager revealed, are seething at the striker’s fourth delayed return from international duty this season.
“It is a ridiculous situation and it has caused problems with his team-mates, quite rightly, too,” said Bruce. “You’re in trouble when the lunatics run the asylum, you have anarchy when that is the case, and what he has done is just ridiculous.”
Leon Osman’s licence to roam from the right and desire to attack the heart of the Wigan defence was instrumental in Everton’s superiority, and the decisive breakthrough on 26 minutes. Collecting Fellaini’s pass, the midfielder released Jo clear of a poorly engineered offside trap and the Brazilian finished expertly into the far corner. A demoralising afternoon for Chris Kirkland had begun.
The contest was rarely easy on the eye or, in Wigan’s case, on the ankles as Michael Brown, in particular, left his mark on his opponents at every opportunity. As a contest it was redundant by the hour. Everton struck three times in quick succession at the start of the second half to confirm their focus has not been diverted towards their impending date with Manchester United at Wembley.
Fellaini nonchalantly swept Tony Hibbert’s cross beyond Kirkland to double Everton’s lead, the Belgian’s seventh goal of his debut season, then forced a low save from the former Liverpool goalkeeper that left Jo with a simple tap-in from six yards out.
That brought the Brazilian a fifth goal in seven appearances for Everton since stepping out of purgatory at Manchester City. Fellaini and Kirkland repeated the sequence on the hour, this time with Osman profiting from a spilled shot to convert from close range, to leave Moyes in sight of the new Europa League.
Guardian Service
