Marco Silva says Everton are playing with increased “maturity and personality” – and the Blues’ season has swung in a positive direction over the past month.

Everton claimed seven points from four matches following October’s international break.

Silva’s side also progressed to the Carabao Cup quarter finals with victory over Watford during a productive period.

The “reality”, insisted the manager, is that the outlook would be even brighter were it not for large slabs of ill fortune in games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.

“It is turning – and that is what we wanted,” Silva told evertontv.

“Before the [October] international break, when we lost how we did at Burnley, I told people we would react, for sure.

“And we reacted.

“It is good to see our players getting more mature and being stronger in their personalities.

“We played five games… and we could possibly be talking here about four wins and one draw.

“This is the reality.

“We could be talking about how the team reacted so strongly and showed the capacity we have.

“We know why in the previous [away] game [at Brighton] we did not win and we could be in a completely different position in the table.”

Everton secured a first away win this term against Southampton on Saturday, a fortnight after having victory unjustly wrenched from their grasp at Brighton.

Those matches sandwiched a home draw with Tottenham, after Everton returned from last month’s two-week break to beat West Ham United at Goodison Park.

The form of Silva's side has generated an uplift in mood following four successive league defeats and the Portuguese expects Everton to further profit psychologically from banking an overdue away success.

“It [winning away] gives us the belief we are able to do it more and more,” said Silva.

"The players know what I said before the [Southampton] match, why some things didn’t happen for us away this season."

"But they know what we should control as team.

“We are learning and improving every time.

“Now we play at home against Norwich [on 23 November] and have to be strong at Goodison, like we have been – then when we are next away we have to be strong again because we have the ability to do that.”

Everton brushed off the blow of Southampton drawing level at the weekend to reassert their authority and ultimately win the game courtesy of forward Richarlison’s tidy 75th-minute finish.

The Blues similarly needed to show plenty of mettle to secure their draw with Spurs six days earlier, Cenk Tosun scoring in stoppage time after a lengthy delay following an injury to midfielder Andre Gomes.

“Last week we showed really strong character after what happened,” continued Silva.

“And it was tough again [when Southampton equalised] but we reacted and had good moments and scored the second... you could see the players' character and their ambition to go back and win the game.

“You have to do that.

“We knew Southampton would want a reaction after their last home defeat [against Leicester City] but we said, ‘Let’s be brave, let’s play with aggression, with and without the ball’.

“And the players did that. Congratulations to them.”

Everton’s first goal at St Mary’s Stadium was scored by Tom Davies, on target for the first time since May 2018.

The rejuvenated midfielder, whose previous four Premier League strikes had all come at Goodison, has retained his place in the team since shining on his recall against West Ham last month.

Asked if 21-year-old Davies has the attributes to add more regular goalscoring to his armoury, Silva added: “Yes, and it was his first goal with me as manager… it is good to see our young players taking more responsibility and being more mature.

“Tom had a very, very good game.

“It is really good to see how he is performing and playing better and deserving the chance we gave him.

“Footballers have to always be ready. He had the chance and is playing at a good level, being important for us.

“I know he is really happy. More than a professional, he is an Evertonian as well and it is really important to me to know how he is feeling at the moment.”