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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break 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 Thierno Barry, 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on 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 loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.