Everton, despite off-field murmurs of a potential points deduction, are letting their football do the talking at present with plenty of positives for the Toffees to latch onto from recent victories.
Back-to-back wins in the Premier League and League Cup versus West Ham and Burnley saw Jordan Pickford keep two consecutive clean sheets, Ashley Young net his first goal in Everton colours and Dominic Calvert-Lewin play for the majority of both contests with a goal and an assist for his efforts to shake off fears he would pick up an injury again.
The Toffees have managed, in the process, to distance themselves from the relegation spots with Sean Dyche targeting another victory this coming weekend against Brighton and Hove Albion when Everton return to league action.
Away from the current crop of first-teamers at Goodison Park, young Blues prospect Stanley Mills is making a name for himself down in Oxfordshire on loan, with the 20-year-old notching up more assists than any Everton player this campaign.
Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil are tied at the top of the assists chart for the Toffees with two each, Mills ahead of both names with four as he continues to dazzle League One defences early into his Oxford United stint.
Stanley Mills' style of play
Everton's explosive right-winger is highly thought of in Merseyside, consistently performing at U21 level with the club before embarking on this new loan venture at Oxford to kickstart his senior career.
For the U21s, Mills has torn opposition defences to shreds regularly down the channels – netting 17 goals in 48 outings, including assisting a further five.
Outgrowing his age bracket arguably, Mills has settled into League One life well with the U's since making the loan switch in late July.
Singled out as a "natural athlete" by his dad, Danny Mills, in an article by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland – the young winger impressing Frank Lampard when the ex-Chelsea player turned Toffees boss first rocked up to Goodison Park – he's shown his pedigree for Liam Manning's men.
Stanley Mills' numbers this season
It wouldn't take long for the exciting talent to instantly endear himself into the hearts of Oxford supporters, Mills arrowing a wonderful effort into the back of the net versus Fleetwood Town to help his team convincingly win 3-0 on the seaside.
His creative flair on the ball has also been a standout of his game since making the move, the 20-year-old assisting four times in total including in his last match as the U's beat Lincoln City 2-0 on their travels to cement second spot in the division.
The young starlet had five efforts of his own at Sincil Bank also, as per Sofascore, registering two out of his five shots on target but he was unable to find the net to add to his slim senior goal collection.
Son of the ex-Manchester City and Leeds United defender – who was capped 19 times by England – the emerging superstar will hope he can follow in his father's footsteps by having a lengthy career at the top.
For the time being, however, Mills will continue enjoying his football at Oxford with dreams of becoming an Everton first-team star his ultimate goal.
