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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for scoring goals should not rest only on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender responded perfectly, securing a fully deserved victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

Everton’s second victory in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the visitors were subdued throughout by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s second-half header made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when found by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away home protests for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his luck had finally turned when sliding in at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a maiden strike was wiped out 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 persisted in front of goal, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at Jordon Pickford when set up inside the area by Iwobi and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the loose ball. The home captain had moved offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt beating Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his teammate the scorer converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a second goal. Dewsbury-Hall was the creator with a corner that the defender directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.