Gueye and Keane find the net as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers

David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, 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 reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners 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. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. 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 parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save late on.