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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, 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 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, 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 thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’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 flank by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.