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The Everton manager had stressed before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by the home team'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 the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance 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 over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.