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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 forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last 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 linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off 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 be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.