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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.