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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer 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 greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker 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 spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past Leno did stand. The left-back delivered 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 mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner 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. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender glanced past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.