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The Everton manager had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were subdued all match by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the early exchanges and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the joy of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But Everton’s third attempt past Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his teammate Gueye finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that Keane glanced past Leno. He did so with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.