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The Everton manager had made clear before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on his side's strikers. “I demand more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, delivering a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine outings was largely untroubled as Fulham highlighted the reason their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a short spell in the second half, the away side were subdued all match by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. The Blues had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Everton attacker who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old headed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's crossbar when found by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the video assistant referee backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display justified the manager's choice to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the upper hand all game.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when set up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a another strike disallowed for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had moved offside when heading on the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. Tarkowski met it with a powerful nod against the bar and, though the midfielder fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer finished from point-blank. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

The home side had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham posed more danger after the substitutions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped the speedster with a crucial save late on.