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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder 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 was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in 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 going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick 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 disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side 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 ball 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 be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.