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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a well-earned victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Everton attacker 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 missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and helped give the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop late on.