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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.