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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts 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 comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed 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 his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, 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 the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.