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The Everton manager had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not rest only on his side's strikers. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was relatively comfortable as Fulham demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had changed at last when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye 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 closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a set-piece that Keane glanced over the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.