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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward 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 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in 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 linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye 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 another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced over Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.