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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

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 assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to 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 creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.