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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell 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 made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.