Aurora Galli grabs winner as Everton move to distance themselves from Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov

The first physical signs of Everton distancing themselves from Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s influence were on show in Walsall as their women’s team wore unbranded shirts in the league win at Aston Villa.

Usmanov’s telecommunications company MegaFon had been the women’s team’s front-of-shirt sponsor but, in a close-fought game that kicked off just over six hours after a club statement confirmed they were suspending their commercial arrangement, the team walked onto the field wearing plain tracksuit tops and then played in a set of rapidly-prepared, new versions of their white third kit, without any front-of-shirt sponsor.

As well as receiving significant financial support from Usmanov’s businesses, the women’s side’s fortunes on the pitch have also been heavily influenced by the family of billionaire, who has been sanctioned by the EU because of "close ties" to Vladimir Putin. Usmanov's nephew, Sarvar Ismailov, was the women’s team’s sporting and commercial director between March 2020 and November 2021. Last summer, Ismailov was a key figure off the pitch as the side went on a spending spree, adding nine new players.

Shortly before Ismailov stepped down from that position, multiple sources said he played a major role in the decision to sack the club's then-manager Willie Kirk after just five league games of this season, a surprising move from which the team have yet to recover on the pitch. Kirk's replacement, Frenchman Jean-Luc Vasseur, lasted just 10 games and was dismissed on 2 February. The club's search for their third head coach of the campaign continues.

Interim manager Chris Roberts' side did give the club some reason to smile on Wednesday night, though, as they won for the first time since November thanks