Jonjoe Kenny says his game is evolving playing in Carlo Ancelotti’s expressive Everton team – and competition for places is encouraging individual quality to flourish.

Full-back Kenny was among six players brought into Everton’s team for Wednesday’s comprehensive Carabao Cup victory at Fleetwood Town.

The 23-year-old, who spent 2019/20 on loan in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04, added a fine display in the third-round tie to an assured performance in round two against Salford City.

Alex Iwobi made his first start of the season, primarily operating ahead of Kenny on Everton’s right flank, and illuminated his side’s play, crowning an excellent individual effort with one goal and one assist.

Another player recalled after sitting out Saturday’s Premier League win over West Bromwich Albion was Bernard and he returned comparable statistics to Iwobi, creating Everton’s opening goal for Richarlison and slamming in the fourth of a 5-2 win.

Kenny, an Everton Academy graduate, is likely to make way for Seamus Coleman for Saturday’s visit to Crystal Palace but, if manager Ancelotti sticks to his early-season template, return for next week’s Goodison Park Carabao Cup meeting with West Ham United.

“It is a joy to go out there and play with these players and it helps my game,” Kenny told evertontv.

“I like getting forward and linking up and when you have top-quality players in front of you it makes life easier.

“The standard in training is unbelievable and that is where this club needs to be.

“You don’t want to be comfortable, you want to be fighting for your place every day, every weekend.

“It brings the best out of you.

“The atmosphere has been brilliant.

“Everyone from the coaching staff to the players is working hard and it is brilliant to be involved.

“Adding the new players really helps and you can see the quality they have.

“I am really enjoying it, I have loved every moment.

“I want to keep pushing and working hard to try to keep playing.”

Everton have opened their season with four straight wins in domestic competition for the first time in 42 years.

Successive 5-2 victories against West Bromwich and Fleetwood followed a single-goal success at Tottenham Hotspur and the straight forward Carabao Cup win over Salford.

Everton were coasting at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium after Richarlison struck twice in the opening half.

Kenny, however, acknowledged his team dug themselves a hole by conceding soon after the break and again following Iwobi’s finish for 3-1.

Bernard crashed in a tremendous drive from substitute Anthony Gordon’s cross to give Everton a two-goal advantage for a third time.

And Moise Kean came on to side-foot home from Niels Nkounkou’s exquisite set up to make it 10 goals in two games for Everton for the first time since November 1985, when Arsenal were beaten 6-1 before a 4-3 victory over Ipswich Town.

“In the first half we were brilliant, we dominated the game and were comfortable,” said Kenny.

“In the second half we took our foot off the gas… and invited pressure.

“But we bounced back well, got control of the game and won it comfortably.

“We have top-quality players all around the squad, that is what we can do.

“But we don’t need to be hitting back as we did.

“If we stayed in control of the game and got the third [before Fleetwood scored] it would make life easier for us.

“But we did hit back well and that showed great character.”

The winners of Everton’s encounter with West Ham next week will book a place in December’s quarter-finals.

“We have to keep doing what we have been in the cup and Premier League [to progress beyond West Ham],” added Kenny.

“Having the belief and confidence to go and play our football and win the game.

“You can see it running through the whole team in the league and cup and we just have to focus on us and try to get the win.”