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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 want more goals from my centre-halves and central players as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was largely untroubled as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were kept quiet all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three goals ruled out for infringements, but a close-range strike from Gueye in added time before the break and the defender's second-half header made sure there would be no reprieve for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Everton attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, Andrew Madley, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a sending off. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the player at the interval.

The striker thought 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 first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player the Nigerian working well in midfield, but the first half threat from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had moved offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’s delivery in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past the keeper counted. The left-back 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 off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner the scorer finished from close range. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the ball into Barry, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. The team would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were dismissed by the video official.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his legs to prevent Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and stopped Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.