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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on his side's forwards. “I want more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’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 yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a drilled pass by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His runs and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly 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 limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a lovely cross to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. Tarkowski connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.