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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, 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 occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.