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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew 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 drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.