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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were kept quiet all match by Everton’s superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender'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 attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game over the Fulham keeper's crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when arriving at the back 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. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to keep the faith. His runs and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside the ground was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent the substitute scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save late on.