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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. 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 late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance 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 the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to 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 Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.