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David Moyes had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not rest only on the team's forwards. “I expect more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the visitors were subdued all match by Everton’s greater urgency and technical ability. The Blues had three goals ruled out for offside, but a poacher’s finish from Gueye in first-half stoppage time and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring more than Thierno Barry, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a clear opportunity to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light on Monday. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton controlled the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's 30-yard free-kick, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. The Serbian brought down the same player again before halftime but the official, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the break.

The striker thought his luck had finally turned when arriving at the far post to convert a drilled pass by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. The attacker was offside when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in front of goal, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort occupied Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to the hosts the edge all game.

Fulham grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder the Nigerian combining effectively in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a free-kick from a dangerous position straight into the defensive barrier. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain volleyed in the rebound. The home captain had just strayed offside when nodding down Jack Grealish’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 thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye finished from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was evident.

Everton had a third goal disallowed early in the second half after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when competing with the Fulham defender for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the 81st minute for the security of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and stopped Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.