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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward 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 missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.