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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender duly obliged, securing a merited victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was fairly straightforward as Fulham showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were contained all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker believed his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

The Blues, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating the keeper counted. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was evident.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a second goal. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender directed over Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.