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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton 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 clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for 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 overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.