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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. 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 dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed over Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.