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David Moyes had emphasized before Fulham's visit that the onus 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 central players as well,” he insisted. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as the visitors highlighted why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the visitors were subdued all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when found by his teammate's excellent delivery.

The home side controlled the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player later in the half but the official, the man in charge, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was erased by an linesman's decision. The attacker was offside when going for the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to stick with him. His movement and effort occupied the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the upper hand all game.

The Londoners grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by his teammate and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The skipper had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging the Fulham defender for the touch 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. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were rejected by the video official.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.