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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, securing a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches 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 latter period, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance 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 the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the video assistant referee supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno did stand. The left-back delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to deny Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied the speedster with a crucial save late on.