Caretaker boss Unsworth will meet Everton owner on Friday

Everton’s caretaker manager David Unsworth is scheduled to meet the club’s owner Farhad Moshiri having overseen an improved performance at Chelsea in his first match in charge.

Their 2-1 defeat in the Carabao Cup’s fourth round came in their first fixture following Ronald Koeman’s sacking but with the belief and purpose that had long been absent in the final weeks of the Dutchman’s reign.

The 44-year-old Unsworth has spoken of his desire to succeed Koeman on a permanent basis and, to that end, recalled Tom Davies, Kevin Mirallas, James McCarthy and Aaron Lennon in pursuit of the pace they had lacked.

He also handed a debut to Beni Baningime, 19, who he knows from the club’s academy, and was perhaps only undermined by the fact Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero was in such fine form.

Between Antonio Rudiger heading Antonio Conte’s much-changed Chelsea into the lead and Willian’s finish in second-half stoppage time, Caballero saved the several fine chances Everton created.

Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal came shortly after Willian’s but a statement had still been made by Unsworth’s team, and he said: “I’m scheduled to meet (Moshiri) on Friday afternoon with the chairman (Bill Kenwright).

“I speak to the chairman two, three, four times a day, so communication is brilliant. I’ve got a great relationship with the board. What will be will be: I just have to be committed. We have to try and win, and take it from there.

“There’s no points return or games total they’ve set: we’ll just continue to work and plan game-to-game.

“All I know is that we’ll hopefully be as committed as that in every game that I’m in charge, and hopefully get on a winning run.

“We started with a great performance; we’ve got to go on a winning streak and very, very quickly, hopefully at Leicester (in the Premier League) on Sunday. I’m quite excited to take that on and work with everybody.”

The £35million Danny Drinkwater was handed his Chelsea debut, amid a full debut for Ethan Ampadu and rare starts for Kenedy, Charly Musonda and Caballero.

Conte recognised his team “suffered” in the second half as Everton’s confidence grew, and also revealed he does not expect Drinkwater to be fully match-fit until after the November international football break.

“In the second half we suffered a bit,” said Conte, 48. “But it’s normal: Everton’s a good team and have just changed their coach. Usually players want to give more, so this game was very dangerous.

“I saw a lot of positive things; above all the young players’ performances. Charly Musonda, Kenedy and Ampadu played a good game.

“We have three games before the international break. To see (Drinkwater) 100 per cent fit will maybe be after that.”