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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve 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 £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper 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 identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.