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David Moyes had emphasized before the match against Fulham that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not fall solely on the team's strikers. “I want more goals from my centre-halves and midfielders as well,” he declared. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane duly obliged, earning a fully deserved victory over Marco Silva’s toothless side.

Everton’s second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors highlighted the reason their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Apart from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. Moyes’ team had three efforts ruled out for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in first-half stoppage time and Keane’s late conversion made sure there would be no comeback for the former Everton manager.

No one needed a goal as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had failed to register a shot on target in 10 league games without testing the goalkeeper after his £27m summer arrival from the Spanish side and spurned a clear opportunity 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 his teammate's excellent delivery.

Everton controlled the early exchanges and the Fulham goalkeeper tipped over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for hauling down Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Lukic brought down the same player again before halftime but the referee, the man in charge, correctly waved away Everton appeals for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and withdrew the player at the break.

The striker believed his luck had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a maiden strike was wiped out by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for the delivery, and failing to connect, and the VAR supported the on-field decision. The forward's bad luck may have continued in the final third, but his overall display validated the manager's choice to stick with him. His runs and effort kept busy the opposition's back line and helped give Everton the upper hand throughout.

Fulham came into the contest slowly with Sander Berge and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi combining effectively in the engine room, but the first half threat from the away team was limited. The Mexican striker shot tamely at the England keeper when set up inside the area by his teammate and sent a set-piece from a dangerous position directly at the defensive barrier. And that was it.

The Blues, driven on by the midfielder and Ndiaye, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper saved a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the rebound. The home captain had just strayed beyond the last defender when heading on the winger's delivery in the build-up. But the team's next effort beating Leno counted. The left-back floated a perfect ball to the far post when found in space on the left by the youngster. Tarkowski met it with a thumping header off the crossbar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his midfield partner the scorer converted from point-blank. The relief inside Hill Dickinson Stadium was palpable.

The home side had a further effort disallowed after the restart after the playmaker scored from another inviting Mykolenko cross. Ndiaye had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with the Fulham defender for the touch that reached the home player. Everton would have to wait until the closing stages for the security of a two-goal lead. The provider was the creator with a set-piece that Keane directed past the goalkeeper. He scored with the upper body, and Fulham’s appeals for a handball were rejected by VAR.

Silva’s side carried more of a threat after the substitutions of the forward, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. Pickford made a fine stop with his legs to deny the substitute finding the net with his initial involvement and denied the speedster with another important stop late on.