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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for scoring goals must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and the English defender rose to the occasion, earning a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were contained all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker 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 clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee supported the original call. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team 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 directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the ball into the striker, who was offside when competing with 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 two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that Keane glanced past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.