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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.