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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective team.

Everton’s second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame 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, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a corner that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.