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David Moyes had made clear before the match against Fulham that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve 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 a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper'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 long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save in the dying moments.