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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts 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 the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as 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 Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.