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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.