Gueye and Michael Keane on target as the Toffees sink Fulham

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye 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 found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.