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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, 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 their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal 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 big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop late on.