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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine matches was largely untroubled as the visitors showed the reason their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the visitors were subdued throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, 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 reprieve for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal more than Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland on Monday. The 23-year-old headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’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 the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, given after Sasa Lukic was yellow-carded for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. Silva was not risking anything, though, and substituted the player at the interval.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a maiden strike was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the original call. 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 runs and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the away team was minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when teed up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location directly at the Everton wall. That summed up their attacking output.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on Jack Grealish’s cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender met it 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.

The home side had a third goal ruled out after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting delivery from the left. Ndiaye had cushioned the ball into the striker, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the Everton midfielder. The team would have to be patient until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that the defender glanced past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.