Idrissa Gueye along with Michael Keane find the net as the Toffees overcome the Cottagers

David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye 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. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.