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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.