Gueye and Michael Keane on target as the Toffees sink the Cottagers

The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported 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 runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the home player. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.