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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 the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve 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 the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.