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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, 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 all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper counted. The left-back delivered 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 off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached 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 corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.