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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to turn in a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a corner that Keane glanced past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by the video official.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.