Carlo Ancelotti says he is satisfied with the general direction Everton are heading under his stewardship, despite some high profile blips this season against Newcastle, Leeds and most recently Fulham.
The decorated Italian took charge of the Blues the same weekend that Mikel Arteta was appointed Arsenal boss, in December 2019.
And while Arteta quickly celebrated an FA Cup triumph the Everton old boy has found consistency difficult to find in the Premier League this season, with the Blues currently three points ahead of the Gunners with a couple of matches in hand.
Ancelotti has also found consistency to be a problem for his side but says he is satisfied with the strides taken since he took over from Marco Silva who was sacked after a harrowing Anfield derby defeat.
"I think that we are heading in the right way," said Ancelotti. "I think that in one area the squad has improved, we have more stability, more knowledge but of course we have to improve.
"We are not at the same level of the top teams. But we are heading in the right direction to work on this.
"I don't know how long that will take. But in one area all the work we did was really good in every aspect.
"We signed good players in the summer, they performed. And step by step this team is going to improve again."
Everton face Manchester City twice, Liverpool and Chelsea in the next month, but Ancelotti insists these matches will not define the Blues' season.
"I think they are not the games that are going to decide our ambition," said the Blues boss. "Our ambition is still the same, to reach Europe at the end of the season - but it doesn't matter what happens against City.
"It's easier to think that we are going to lose against City but in football you never know. We have confidence to do well, but if we lose, our target will not change and we still have time to reach our targets."
