Swansea vs. Everton: Winners and Losers from Capital One Cup Game
Everton crashed out of the Capital One Cup after a demoralising 3-0 defeat at Swansea City.
The hosts opened the scoring on 29 minutes, as Nathan Dyer slotted home following incisive work from Jefferson Montero.
Gylfi Sigurdsson then doubled the lead in the 65th minute, capitalising on Sylvain Distin's wayward clearance, before Marvin Emnes rounded off the scoring in the closing stages.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from this Capital One Round 4 clash.
Loser: Everton in the League Cup
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This defeat preserves Everton's truly wretched return in all of the League Cup's different guises.
Whether it's been called the Capital One Cup, the Carling Cup, the Coca-Cola Cup or many others, it's never been a tournament the Toffees have enjoyed. Another premature exit means, remarkably, the club have passed the last 16 on just two occasions in the previous 27 years.
Considering Everton have been established in the Premier League's top eight for most of the past 10 years, a quarter-final appearance should be a regular recent occurrence. To fail so routinely in this competition is simply bewildering, especially given the supporters' constant lust for silverware.
Playing Swansea away was always likely to prove tough; however, a 3-0 defeat highlights the complete disaster the Toffees have so often been in this tournament.
Winner: Jefferson Montero
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Swansea's brightest player and most persistent threat to Everton was their Ecuadorian summer signing, Jefferson Montero.
Playing on the left, the winger showed a wide array of tricks and a constant willingness to attack and speed past his opposite man.
His electric bursts were Swansea's best route into the final third and were behind much of their most penetrative early moments.
Dyer, Sigurdsson and Wayne Routledge have established themselves as the Swans' first-choice trio lining up behind the striker. Montero's showing in this game suggests he's ready to disrupt that selection.
Loser: Tony Hibbert
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In relation to the previous slide, Tony Hibbert was the victim of Montero's repeated success. The full-back was twisted and turned and regularly beaten, making the Ecuador international appear a world-class talent.
Selected for his first appearance since February, Swansea quickly identified the 33-year-old as the Toffees' weak link, targeting him at every opportunity and encouraging Montero to attack him.
Hibbert was too easily beaten during the build up to Swansea's first goal, and his sloppy display underlined the fact he's played just 167 minutes of football since May 2013.
On this evidence, he remains alarmingly below his previous standards and a long way from ever again being considered for key matches.
Winner: Swansea City and Garry Monk
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Yes, Swansea won. They are in the last 16 of the Capital One Cup, and, if they maintain their strong start to the season, they will cause any side a problem in the competition's next round.
Another equally satisfying feat for Swansea was more of a historic achievement: This win was the club's first over Everton in their entire existence.
Before this comprehensive result, the Swans had never experienced a win in 20 matches, losing 15, including five of six recent Premier League encounters.
After this match, however, that record—and winning run spanning back to a first meeting in 1930—is finally quashed, forever.
Loser: The Toffees' Defence...Again
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Everton's defensive woes are becoming something of a recurrent theme this season. The Toffees' continue to haemorrhage goals and once again didn't ask their opponent to be especially brilliant to repeatedly score.
Another three goals conceded in this game makes it 17 in just seven games played in all competitions. To put that into context, that's the club's worst defensive return since 1994, under the disastrous leadership of Mike Walker.
After mistakes handed Crystal Palace their surprise Premier League win on Sunday, Distin, Hibbert and Tim Howard repeated the trend in this game, as another three goals went in from just four shots on target.
The loss is just the second back-to-back defeat suffered during Roberto Martinez's 51 games in charge. He's never lost three games in a row and takes his side's creaking defence to Anfield on Sunday.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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