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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike 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. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.