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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.