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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

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

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.