Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane on target as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham 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 subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation 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 video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.