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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for 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 validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to 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 architect with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.