Marco Silva takes comfort from a rotating cast of centre-halves helping Everton to three consecutive clean sheets.

Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma have been Silva’s preferred pairing at the heart of Everton’s defence this season but a combination of factors have seen Yerry Mina and Phil Jagielka handed starting berths recently.

It has mattered little, though, as Everton have seen off Chelsea, West Ham and Arsenal without conceding, leading Silva to conclude that all his defenders are clear on their roles when they step on to the field.

However, the Everton manager also pointed out that it is not just the centre-backs who deserve credit for their three most recent opponents drawing a blank.

Silva said: “It shows one good thing for me: all of them are prepared to help the team and all of them know what is our defensive idea, that is a good sign for me as a manger.

Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Show all 23 1 /23 Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Player ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Arsenal - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 7, 2019 Everton manager Marco Silva, Arsenal manager Unai Emery and match official Mike Dean Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. LEE SMITH Action Images via Reuters Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Jordan Pickford 7 Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Arsenal - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 7, 2019 Everton's Jordan Pickford celebrates their first goal scored by Phil Jagielka Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details. LEE SMITH Action Images via Reuters Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Seamus Coleman 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal argues with Seamus Coleman of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Stu Forster Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Kurt Zouma 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 7: Kurt Zouma of Everton challenges for the ball with Alexandre Lacazette during the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park on April 7, 2019 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images) Tony McArdle - Everton FC Everton FC via Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Phil Jagielka 8 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Phil Jagielka of Everton celebrates with team mates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) Jan Kruger Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Lucas Digne 8 Everton's French defender Lucas Digne (R) runs with ball during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on April 7, 2019. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images OLI SCARFF AFP/Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Idrissa Gueye 7 Arsenal's Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey (R) vies with Everton's Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on April 7, 2019. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images OLI SCARFF AFP/Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Andre Gomes 6 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Andre Gomes of Everton in action during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Clive Brunskill Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Richarlison 6 epa07490228 Arsenal's Nacho Monreal (L) in action with Everton's Richarlison (R) during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal held at Goodison Park in Liverpool, Britain, 07 April 2019. EPA/PETER POWELL EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications PETER POWELL EPA Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Gylfi Sigurdsson 7 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Gylfi Sigurdsson of Everton is challenged by Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Clive Brunskill Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Bernard 6 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Bernard of Everton runs with the ball under pressure from Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Copa/Getty Images) Harriet Lander/Copa Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Dominic Calvert-Lewin 7 epaselect epa07490181 Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin (L) in action with Arsenal's Sokratis Papastathopoulos (R) during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Arsenal held at Goodison Park in Liverpool, Britain, 07 April 2019. EPA/PETER POWELL EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications PETER POWELL EPA Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Bernd Leno 5 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Bernd Leno of Arsenal saves a shot from Bernard of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. 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Please contact your account representative for further details. LEE SMITH Action Images via Reuters Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Nacho Monreal 6 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Richarlison of Everton is challenged by Nacho Monreal of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Clive Brunskill Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Ainsley Maitland-Niles 4 Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Arsenal - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 7, 2019 Everton's Bernard in action with Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bernd Leno Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. 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(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Stu Forster Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Henrikh Mkhitaryan 5 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Andre Gomes of Everton battles for possession with Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Clive Brunskill Getty Images Playing ratings from Everton vs Arsenal Alexandre Lacazette 5 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal is challenged by Seamus Coleman of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Arsenal FC at Goodison Park on April 07, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Clive Brunskill Getty Images

“But for us to have a clean sheet we have to be a block and the block and good defensive organisation doesn’t start with our central defenders or our goalkeeper or our lateral defenders.

“In our block we start with a good shape with our striker and normally the offensive midfielder in our model is the first player to start defending.

“It’s part of the block and our idea is even if you are in an offensive idea, you can attack well if you are always in a good balance, being solid and that’s everything that we’ve been doing in the last few games.

“It’s something that has to be our aim to keep doing.”

Keane was a late withdrawal from the side that defeated Arsenal 1-0 last Sunday, with replacement and club captain Jagielka scoring the winner, his first goal in almost two years.

Jagielka could immediately be dropped to the bench for this weekend’s trip to already-relegated Fulham as Keane is back in training following illness, though Yerry Mina remains sidelined by a hamstring injury.

Jagielka scored after receiving a late call-up to the starting line-up (Getty)

Silva is not underestimating Fulham, who are on their third manager of the season, with Scott Parker in caretaker charge following the February sacking of Claudio Ranieri, who himself took the reins from Slavisa Jokanovic in November.

Silva said: “I can see very good individual quality in their team, I don’t have doubts about that. It’s not easy when you change three times the manager, it’s not a good sign.

“But we have to think in Fulham like we did against Chelsea, West Ham or the last game against Arsenal.”

One player who has shone in Everton’s recent run is Brazilian winger Bernard, who is starting to perform on a more consistent basis after taking time to settle at Goodison Park following last summer’s switch from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Kurt Zouma has impressed on loan at Everton (REUTERS)

Silva is a fan of the 26-year-old, who bagged his first league goal for Everton at West Ham last month, but wants him to find the net on a more regular basis.

Silva said: “You can see he’s a fantastic football player, he can improve, for sure.