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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled 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 fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.