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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’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 official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over 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 after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.