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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.