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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.