Everton booked their place in the Carabao Cup’s third round with a 3-0 win over Salford City.

A much-changed Blues line-up took the lead on eight minutes when Michael Keane broke free of Jason Lowe’s shackling to head home a Bernard corner.

Gylfi Sigurdsson doubled the hosts’ advantage with his 100th goal in English football by meeting an Anthony Gordon cutback in the tie’s final quarter.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side assured victory just three minutes from time when Moise Kean converted a penalty after Gordon was fouled by Bruno Andrade.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Promising signs for new double act

 

Leighton Baines will have sensed that something special was happening.

As Everton’s new Professional Development Coach took in this tie from the stands, he doubtless would have seen a familiar pattern beginning to emerge.

The former left-back may now be in his new role as Professional Development Coach but hallmarks from his Goodison Park playing career were still on show.

In Niels Nkounkou and Anthony Gordon, the Blues may have just unearthed their most exciting left-sided combination since Baines and Steven Pienaar.

Granted, both are still relatively inexperienced; Nkounkou is mere months into his time on Merseyside while Gordon has made just 14 senior appearances.

Yet their growing influence on proceedings, not least in combining to tee up Gylfi Sigurdsson for Everton’s second goal, proved that age is just a number.

Separately, the pair were willing to take on Salford, with Nkounkou routinely attempting to test Vaclav Hladky with ambitious shots from the byline.

Time will tell whether the partnership bears fruit, especially against more formidable opponents, but it could be the start of something special.

Confidence is key for Kean

 

Penalties can boost or break a player’s confidence. So when Moise Kean electing to take Everton’s 87th minute spot kick, it was a huge gamble.

Until that point, his evening had followed the theme of previous Goodison outings with poor first touches and even worse finishing going hand in hand.

Either side of the interval, the Italy international had fluffed his lines from golden opportunities from close range that were actually harder to miss.

His biggest crime was heading point-blank against the crossbar from a pinpoint delivery by Sigurdsson just six minutes after the half-time break.

But Bruno Andrade’s hacking down of Gordon during the closing stages offered Kean a chance to try and redeem himself from 12 yards out.

That bold move could have backfired spectacularly on Kean yet he had the self-belief to end a difficult outing on a slightly more positive footing.

It was a goal which will barely mask his previous flaws but go a long way in boosting the 20-year-old’s confidence as he aims to stake a regular claim.

Defensive problems mounting up

 

Amid the fanfare around his side’s new-look midfield, Ancelotti is continuing to considerably upgrade other areas that are sorely lacking strength in depth.

Central defence is becoming an increasing area of concern with Mason Holgate currently set to be sidelined for the next few weeks at least.

Those treatment table woes continued against Salford with Jarrad Branthwaite limping out early in the first half with an ankle injury.

The teenager’s withdrawal left Michael Keane as Everton’s sole centre-back in the match day squad, with Lucas Digne sent on in efforts to plug the gap.

Besides the goal scorer, Yerry Mina is the only other available player at the heart of defence ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime visit of West Bromwich Albion.

If the Colombian or Keane again succumb to injury at any time before Holgate’s anticipated return, the dearth of options will become problematic.

Negotiations over a loan deal for Chelsea’s Fikayo Tomori have quietened of late but the unexpected loss of Branthwaite should accelerate the process.

Time up for Iwobi and Bolasie?

 

Wholesale changes made from the team that won at Tottenham afforded rare opportunities for some players to try and force their way into Ancelotti’s plans.

Theo Walcott failed to convince the Italian that he merits a regular run of games yet it was the absence of his fellow misfits that were more notable.

Barring unspecified injury problems, neither Yannick Bolasie and Alex Iwobi managed to force their way into the match day squad against Salford.

The pair’s failure to even make the substitutes’ bench is particularly ominous for their futures when Ancelotti named seven of his Spurs line-up instead.

If a second round cup tie against lower league opposition is not considered a suitable opening for Iwobi or Bolasie, the writing appears to be on the wall.