Idrissa Gueye along with Keane on target as the Toffees sink the Cottagers

David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward 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 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford 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.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball 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 wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.