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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games 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 youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game 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 Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside 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 far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.