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The Everton manager had stressed 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 expect more goals from my defenders and midfielders as well,” he stated. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane rose to the occasion, delivering a merited victory over Marco Silva’s ineffective side.

The Merseyside club's second win in nine outings was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is opposition own goals. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's superior intensity and technical ability. Moyes’ team had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike 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 as much as the young striker, the Goodison Park attacker who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his big-money move from the Spanish side and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The youngster directed the earliest chance of the game over Bernd Leno’s crossbar when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine cross.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after the Fulham player was yellow-carded for hauling down the Everton midfielder. 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. The Fulham boss was not risking anything, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry thought his fortune had finally turned when arriving at the back post to turn in a low cross by his teammate. But the joy of a first Everton goal was wiped out by an linesman's decision. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when going for Gueye’s cross, and missing, and the VAR backed up the on-field decision. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance justified Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy the opposition's back line and contributed to the hosts the edge throughout.

The Londoners grew into the game gradually with the Norwegian and the former Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the early danger from the visitors was minimal. The Mexican striker fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up inside the area by Iwobi and sent a free-kick from a promising location straight into the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by the midfielder and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for an infringement when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and the captain fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed beyond the last defender when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's next effort beating Leno counted. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a lovely cross to the back post when found in space on the left flank by the youngster. The defender connected with a powerful nod against the bar and, though Iroegbunam mishit the rebound, his midfield partner Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

The home side had a third goal disallowed after the restart after the playmaker found the bottom corner from a further excellent delivery from the left. The attacker had laid off the delivery into the striker, who was offside when competing with Joachim Anderson for the touch that reached the Everton midfielder. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the comfort of a two-goal lead. Dewsbury-Hall was the architect with a corner that the defender directed past the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for handball were rejected by VAR.

Fulham carried more of a threat after the introductions of Josh King, the Brazilian and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper saved well with his feet to prevent Muniz scoring with his first touch and stopped the speedster with another important stop in the dying moments.