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David Moyes had stressed before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender duly obliged, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss 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 turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a further effort ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.