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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 the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer 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. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player 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, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross 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 Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.