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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham highlighted why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to 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 creator with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.