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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 the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward 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 two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, 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 justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.