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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was fairly straightforward as the visitors showed why their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.