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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player 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, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.