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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals 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 reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, 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 validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent 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 reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.