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David Moyes had made clear before Fulham's visit that the onus for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, earning a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless team.

Everton’s second victory in nine matches was largely untroubled as Fulham demonstrated the reason their top marksman this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a short spell in the second half, the away side were contained throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. The Blues had three goals disallowed for infringements, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one was more in need of scoring more than the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker 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 gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The youngster headed the first opportunity of the game wide of Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper tipped over James Garner’s long-range set-piece, awarded after the Fulham player was booked for fouling the Everton midfielder. Lukic tripped the same player again before halftime but the official, the man in charge, correctly waved away home protests for a sending off. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, though, and withdrew the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when sliding in at the far post to turn in a drilled pass by Gueye. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was offside when attacking the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR backed up the original call. The forward's bad luck may have persisted in the final third, but his overall display validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate occupied the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game 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 minimal. Raúl Jiménez shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a set-piece from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, driven on by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, had a another strike chalked off for an infringement when Leno saved a Keane header and James Tarkowski fired home the rebound. The skipper had moved beyond the last defender when nodding down Jack Grealish’s cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt beating Leno did stand. The left-back floated a lovely cross to the far post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate 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 another inviting Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into the striker, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the comfort of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a set-piece that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat following the substitutions of Josh King, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to prevent Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.