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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed 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 comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. 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 parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.