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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as 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 headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased 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. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

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 delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.