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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, 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 spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed 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 controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker 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. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.