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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 strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. The Senegalese midfielder and the English defender rose to the occasion, securing a merited victory over Marco Silva’s toothless team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham showed why their top marksman this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a short spell in the latter period, the away side were kept quiet all match by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without testing the goalkeeper after his big-money move from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team two goals ahead at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster headed the earliest chance of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by his teammate's fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was booked for hauling down the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was not risking anything, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. The attacker was in an illegal position when attacking Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give the hosts the edge throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the build-up. But Everton’s third attempt past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when found in space on the left by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a powerful nod off the crossbar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from close range. The sense of release inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson 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 architect with a corner that Keane directed past Leno. He scored with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat following the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and the winger. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his feet to prevent the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with another important stop late on.