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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility 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 insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.