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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye 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 continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

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 cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.