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The Everton manager had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park 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 the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy 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 video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece 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 another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header 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 buildup. But Everton’s next effort past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.