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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

Barry thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far 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 in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up 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 work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder 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 loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. 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 introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.