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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward 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 the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.