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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by Everton’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 Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.