The Everton supporters located in the corner of the Shed were going nowhere. Their team had lost for a fourth time in succession to Chelsea and subsequently departed the League Cup at the fourth-round stage, yet the final whistle was not a signal to leave in despair. Rather it was a moment to display pride, and so they stayed where they were, chanted and applauded, and no doubt felt a step had been taken into the light after weeks spent trapped in doom and gloom.

Ultimately it was only a small step given the outcome – an eighth defeat in 12 games and a deepening of the fear that their wait for a trophy is going to extend to 24 years at least – yet such was the contrast in the visitors’ showing to the stodgy, hopeless displays they had produced under Ronald Koeman this season, and which led to the Dutchman losing his job as manager, that it would be wrong to deny Evertonians cause to feel optimistic.

No one more so than David Unsworth, who in his first match in charge having stepped up from his role overseeing the under-23’s following Koeman’s sacking, got the response he was looking for from a group of players who appeared reinvigorated. They performed with intensity, togetherness and belief, during the second half in particular when they created enough chances to not only cancel out Antonio Rüdiger’s first-half goal, but even take the lead. They did score via Dominic Calvert-Lewin from close range four minutes into added time but only after Willian had struck again for the home side. A consolation was the least Everton deserved.

André Ayew kickstarts West Ham revival to dump Tottenham out of Carabao Cup Read more

“I’m proud of the players,” Unsworth said. “There’s so much to work with. I’m pleased but not too pleased because we lost the game. But it was a really committed performance. Hopefully we’ll be as committed as that every game that I’m in charge.”

Everton may have played with renewed zest regardless of who took charge of them here but their showing was undeniably also down to Unsworth’s choices, in tactics and personnel: 4-3-3 with two wingers in Kevin Mirallas and Aaron Lennon, something Koeman was reluctant to try during his final weeks, and a batch of young players in from the outset, something again which was in stark contrast to the approach taken by the Dutchman.

Jonjoe Kenny, 20, continued at right-back while the 19-year-old Tom Davies, such a revelation last season, made only his eighth start of the campaign. But undeniably the most eye-catching selection was that of the 19-year-old Beni Baningime, a Congo-born defensive midfielder who was part of the under-23 squad that won the Premier League 2 title, under Unsworth, last season.

Baningime performed admirably and more than left an impression with a robust challenge on fellow teenager Ethan Ampadu, one of nine changes Antonio Conte made to his Chelsea side, for which he was perhaps lucky not to receive a booking. “That’s normal for Beni,” said Unsworth. “Evertonians better get used to it.”

There were fully committed displays from a number of others in white, with Davies, Phil Jagielka and James McCarthy among those who did pick up yellow cards for strong challenges. They all came after the interval as Everton went for broke having been subdued and hesitant during a first half in which they fell behind in slapdash circumstances.

Chelsea won a corner on the left-hand side which Willian played short to Charly Musonda. He swung a cross to the back post and there was Rüdiger waiting to redirect the ball into the far corner of the net with a looping header, his first goal for the club since arriving from Roma in July. It was an impressive finish by the centre-back but he was completely unmarked when he struck.

Everton could have caved in but instead they returned after the interval and pressed Chelsea back, moving the ball quickly and creating opportunities, with Wayne Rooney forcing Willy Caballero into a point-blank save and Ademola Lookman, on as a substitute, clipping the bar with a long-range shot on 80 minutes.

To their credit, Chelsea continued to search for a second goal and after Michy Batshuayi had been prevented from scoring by Jagielka’s excellent sliding tackle, Willian struck in added time after linking up with Cesc Fàbregas to ultimately secure their place in the quarter-final draw.

“Our performance was very good,” said Conte, before going on to praise the young players he deployed – Musonda, Ampadu and the Brazilian Kenedy.

He was not as proud of his youngsters as Unsworth was, however, with the former Goodison Park defender having made clear his desire to be Everton manager on a long-term basis and he will get the chance to state his case to the club’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, in person on Friday. For the 44-year-old it is a case of so far, so good.