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The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the onus for scoring goals should not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he declared. The Senegalese midfielder and Michael Keane duly obliged, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was fairly straightforward as Fulham highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the latter period, the away side were subdued throughout by Everton’s superior intensity and quality. Moyes’ team had three goals disallowed for offside, but a poacher’s finish from the midfielder in added time before the break and the defender's late conversion ensured there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No player was more in need of scoring as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from Villarreal and spurned a gilt-edged chance to put his team two goals ahead at the Stadium of Light earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game over Bernd Leno’s goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

The home side dominated the opening stages and the Fulham goalkeeper pushed over James Garner’s 30-yard free-kick, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the identical opponent later in the half but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. Silva was taking no further chances, though, and substituted the midfielder at the break.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to convert a low cross by his teammate. But the elation 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. The forward's bad luck may have continued in front of goal, but his all-round performance justified the manager's choice to stick with him. His movement and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in midfield, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker fired weakly at Jordon Pickford when set up in the box by his teammate and put a set-piece from a promising location directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal disallowed for offside when Leno parried a Keane header and the captain fired home the loose ball. The home captain had just strayed offside when heading on the winger's delivery in the buildup. But the team's next effort past the keeper did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left flank by Tim Iroegbunam. The defender connected with a thumping header against the bar and, though the midfielder mishit the rebound, his teammate the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a third goal ruled out early in the second half after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had cushioned the delivery into Barry, who was offside when challenging Joachim Anderson for the touch that fell to the home player. The team would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past Leno. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger following the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and the winger. Pickford made a fine stop with his feet to deny Muniz finding the net with his first touch and denied Traoré with another important stop in the dying moments.