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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well 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 his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.